Four ornamental plants Lantana salvifolia, Lantana (verbeneceae), Geranium columbinam Pigeon`s foot and Geranium robertianum Herb Robert (Geraniaceae) were intercropped with maize plants during early summer seasons plantation mid of April 2009&2010 using two nursery methods (alternative hills-alternative rows), aiming to study the effect of essential volatile oils scattered around maize plants against Sesamia cretica Led..
Results demonstrated that the nursery of Lantana and Sweat basil had the highest effect during the two seasons on number and vital of egg-masses and subsequently on number of larvae, number of plants containing perforated leaves and dead hearts. Also, the effect on dry ears weight was estimated. Generally, intercropping using the alternative hills was the best method of nursing. While nursery of Pigeon`s foot ranked the third in this respect. However, nursery of Herb Robert was the least among all the ornamental plants used during the two seasons.
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