The increasing use of nanofertilizers in modern agriculture and their impact on crop yield and pest management require further research. In this study, the effects of nano-Fe, -Zn, and -Cu (which are synthesized based on nanochelating technology), and urea (N) fertilizers on the antioxidant activities of wheat plants (cv. Chamran), and the wheat green aphid Schizaphis graminum (Rondani) are investigated. The authors observed the highest levels of phenolics in non-infested nano-Zn-treated plants (26% higher compared with control). The highest H₂O₂ levels are in the infested and non-infested nano-Zn-treated and infested nano-Fe-treated plants (in infested nano-Zn and nano-Fe treated plants, 18% and non-infested nano-Zn-treated plants, 28% higher compared with control). The highest peroxidase (POX) activity is observed in the infested and non-infested N-treated and non-infested water-treated plants (almost 14%, 37%, and 46% higher than control, respectively). The lowest activity is in the infested plants’ nano-Zn and -Fe treatments (almost 7 and 5 folds lower compared to the control, respectively). The highest and lowest catalase (CAT) activity are in the infested N-treated plants (almost 42% higher than control) and water-treated plants, respectively. The infested nano-Zn, -Fe, -Cu and Hoagland-treated plants showed the highest superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. Regarding the antioxidant enzyme activities of S. graminum, the highest POX activity is in the nano-Cu treatment (more than two folds higher compared with control); the highest CAT and SOD activities are in the nano-Cu and -Zn treatments. It can be concluded that the application of nanofertilizers caused increasing effects on the wheat plant’s antioxidant system and its resistance to S. graminum.

Essential oils are volatile botanical compounds with strong odor that are characterized as plant secondary metabolites. In this research, the effects of Rosmarinus officinalis L. and Salvia officinalis L. (Lamiaceae) essential oils are investigated on demographic parameters of H. hebetor. The gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) analysis indicates that α-pinene (9.99%) and β-thujone (25.63%) are major constituents of mentioned essential oils, respectively. The bioassay results show that LC₅₀ values for R. officinalis and S. officinalis essential oils are 4.15 and 18.36 μl/liter air, respectively; that, R. officinalis essential oil show high acute toxicity on the female wasps of H. hebetor compared with S. officinalis essential oil. Then, the demographic parameters of this parasitoid wasp are investigated by LC₃₀ treatment of essential oils that are 2.48 and 6.30 μl/liter air for mentioned essential oils, respectively. The sublethal results show that adult longevity, daily and total fecundity and fertility, gross and net reproductive rates, intrinsic rate of increase, finite rate of increase, mean generation time, doubling time, survival rate, probabilities of survival and death in one age to next age, death rate, cohort survival rate and life expectancy are affected negatively by the tested essential oils. Finally, the r_m values in the control, R. officinalis and S. officinalis essential oils are obtained 0.274, 0.133 and 0.217 day^-1, respectively. This research indicate that S. officinalis essential oil has less toxicity on H. hebetor and recommends as a compatible botanical compound with this biocontrol agent in integrated pest management programs.

Habrobracon hebetor Say (Synonym: Bracon hebetor) is an important ectoparasitoid wasp of lepidopteran pests. In this research, the effects of chemical and botanical insecticides including fenvalerate, propargite, buprofezin, dayabon and palizin were investigated on this biocontrol agent. The contact exposure bioassays showed that LC₅₀ values under insecticides treatment were 0.52, 47.44, 23.30, 31.35 and 62.47 mg a.i./L, respectively. Then, the young female wasps of H. hebetor (<24 h old) were exposed to LC₃₀ of selected insecticides for 24 h and their demography was investigated. The sublethal results showed that adult longevity, survival, fecundity, fertility, hatch rate and sex ratio of H. hebetor negatively were affected by the tested insecticides. Finally, the intrinsic rate of increase (r_m) was obtained after treatment and was 0.27 day⁻¹ for the control versus 0.14, 0.18, 0.21, 0.19 and 0.24 day⁻¹ for the insecticides, respectively. The effects of dayabon and palizin have not been evaluated yet on moth pests and must be investigated in the future. Our results show that palizin has the lowest negative effects on the demography of H. hebetor and therefore is a compatible insecticide for integrated pest management programs.