Original paper
Influence of carboxylated and hydroxylated multi-walled carbon nanotubes on the development and reproductive abilities of Myzus persicae
Yu, Fu-Xiao; Mobarak, Syed Husne; Yang, Mao-Fa; Hu, Chao-Xing; Liu, Tong-Xian

Entomologia Generalis Volume 44 Number 5 (2024), p. 1213 - 1223
published: Nov 29, 2024
published online: Nov 4, 2024
manuscript accepted: Aug 29, 2024
manuscript revision received: Jul 24, 2024
manuscript revision requested: Jul 4, 2024
manuscript received: May 29, 2024
DOI: 10.1127/entomologia/2024/2760
Open Access (paper may be downloaded free of charge)
Abstract
Extensive investigation has illustrated the potential of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and their derivatives to boost crop growth and yield, bolster crop resistance to diseases and pests, enhance drought and salt tolerance, facilitate soil enhancement, and cater as carriers for fertilizers, pesticides, and nucleic acids to augment their efficacy. Consequently, a comprehensive assessment of the individual impact of CNTs on agricultural pests is imperative for guiding their large-scale applications in agriculture. This study evaluates the potential effects of carboxylated and hydroxylated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs-COOH and MWCNTs-OH) at varying concentrations (0.004, 0.04 and 0.4 mg/ml) on the development and reproduction of tobacco aphid, Myzus persicae (Sulzer), using age-stage, two-sex life table analysis. Our results revealed a significant extension in the developmental and pre-reproductive periods of tobacco aphids with increasing concentrations of both nanotubes. Notably, the net reproduction rate (R 0), intrinsic growth rate (r), and finite rate of increase (λ) were significantly lower under the two nanotubes treatments compared to the control. Furthermore, both nanotubes exhibited a substantial reduction in reproduction days and fecundity, particularly at higher concentrations, where these parameters reached their lowest values (6.23 days, 20.44 offspring for MWCNTs-COOH and 5.96 days, 17.13 offspring for MWCNTs-OH, respectively). Overall, both nanotubes demonstrated inhibitory effects on the development and reproductive capacity, with MWCNTs-OH generally exhibiting a more pronounced impact than MWCNTs-COOH. These findings offer a robust theoretical framework for the use of MWCNTs-COOH and MWCNTs-OH as potential pesticides and dsRNA carriers for the effective control of tobacco aphid.
Keywords
Tobacco aphid • green peach aphid • age-stage • two-sex life table analysis • rate of increase • pest management • dsRNA