Efficiency of Eucalyptus Oil Nanocapsule (Eucalyptus sp.) in Controlling the Whitefly, Bemisia tabaci on Sweet Pepper in the Greenhouse

The study investigated the efficacy of nanocapsules and normal oil of eucalyptus to control the whitefly Bemisia tabaci population that infested two sweet pepper, Capsicum annuum (Charisma and Sierra Nevada), varieties. Data revealed that eucalyptus oil in all its forms could decrease the eggs, nymphs, and adults numbers of B. tabaci , on both sweet pepper varieties. Among others, the 5% nanocapsule treatment scored the highest mortality rate after the pesticide Actara at all the insect stages. In addition, nanocapsules prepared from extracted eucalyptus oil scored the best control compared to nanocapsules of commercial oil or extracted eucalyptus oil treatments at all insect stages. For the Charisma variety, this treatment scored highest, with 94.87%, 97.45%, and 93.27% kill efficiency percentage (KE%) in whitefly eggs, nymphs, and adult stages after 4, 7, and 2 days of treatments, respectively. While the pesticide Actara scored 100% KE at all whitefly stages. Similarly, the extracted oil nanocapsule treatment was the best among other treatments in reducing the percentage of B. tabaci on the Sierra Nevada variety. The highest KE percentages of whitefly eggs, nymphs, and adults were 96.92%, 97.84%, and 91.79% after 7, 4, and 1 days of treatment, compared to the pesticide Actara, which achieved the highest 100% KE at all whitefly stages. Thus, nanocapsules of commercial oil can be a promising eco‐friendly formulation alternative to insecticides against B. tabaci .