Biosurfactants have been used for crop protection in integrated pest management programs, as they are generally biodegradable and environmentally friendly. While screening for insecticidal bacteria against green peach aphid, Myzus persicae, we found that a Bacillus isolate, Y9, exhibited strong surface tension activity and produced insecticidal metabolites. The insecticidal metabolites with surface tension activity were extracted from the cell‐free supernatant of Y9 and subjected to repetitive column chromatography and preparative high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Based on data from instrumental analyses, the metabolites were identified as surfactin isomers consisting of C14[Leu7], C14[Val7] and C15[Leu7]. The isomers with leucine showed higher insecticidal activity than the isomers with valine. Y9 was capable of producing biosurfactants as insecticidal metabolites against M. persicae, and showed potential for use as a biocontrol agent in an integrated pest management program.

Myzus persicae is an important insect pest that reduces crop production worldwide. The use of pesticides for aphid control has generated much concern related to insect resistance and undesirable environmental effects. In an effort to discover new alternatives to counter M. persicae, we found that Pseudomonas isolate DJ15 produced insecticidal metabolites. To isolate the insecticidal metabolites, a cell‐free supernatant of DJ15 was extracted and subjected to bioassay‐guided chromatography. Based on the structures elucidated in instrumental analyses, the metabolites were identified as xantholysins A and B. The metabolites showed strong insecticidal activity against M. persicae with 50% mortality at levels of 13.4 and 24.6 μg/mL for xantholysins A and B, respectively. This is the first study to identify xantholysins as insecticidal metabolites against M. persicae.

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BACKGROUND: Cyantraniliprole is a systemic diamide insecticide that has been used to control lepidopteran pests in agriculture. Cyantraniliprole has become an issue due to its potentiality of unexpectable contamination in rotational crop cultivation. Thus, studies on the evaluation of cyantraniliprole translocated from soil into rotational crops are required. METHODS AND RESULTS: Cyantraniliprole was treated at a yearly maximum application level onto bare soil under greenhouse conditions in two geographically different regions. Lettuce was transplanted and spinach and radish were sown onto the soil 30 and 60 days-plant back intervals (PBIs) after cyantraniliprole treatment. The QuEChERS method was modified and coupled with LC/MS/MS analysis to determine the residues of cyantraniliprole in soil and plant samples. The methods for sample preparation and instrumental conditions were validated to meet the criteria of Codex guidelines and were successful to determine cyantraniliprole quantitatively and qualitatively in the samples. Cyantraniliprole residues in lettuce samples were 0.01 mg/kg for PBI 60 and 0.02 mg/kg for PBI 30, respectively.The residues in spinach samples were 0.01 mg/kg for PBI 60 and 0.01~0.02 mg/kg for PBI 30, respectively. Less than limit of the quantitation (LOQ) level (0.01 mg/kg) of cyantraniliprole was observed in radish samples. The residues in the plant samples were found as the levels less than maximum residue limit (MRL) for leafy and root vegetables. CONCLUSION(S): This study suggests PBI 30~60 days for rotational cultivation of lettuce, spinach and radish in greenhouse soil treated with cyantraniliprole at a yearly maximum application level.

BACKGROUND: The invasive hornet Vespa velutina nigrithorax has becomes a public concern in rural and urban South Korea. The technologies are necessary to develop a way to counter V. velutina. In an effort to develop a way to counter V. velutina, we found that a bacillus strain, named Bacillus sp. BV-1, produces volatile compounds that attract V. velutina. METHODS AND RESULTS: Field trials of V. velutina attraction were performed using plates and traps containing BV-1 cultures grown on sugar medium. When the sugar medium and sugar-grown BV-1 cultures in the plates were placed close together, V. velutina visited preferably the plates with the BV-1 cultures. Significantly more V. velutina were caught in the traps containing BV-1 cultures than in those containing only sugar medium. Headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled with GC/MS analysis of BV-1 cultures detected 2-methyl-1-propanol, 3-methyl-1-butanol, 3-methylbutanoic acid, ethyl hexanoate, 2-pheylethanol, ethyl octanoate, and ethyl decanoate as the major volatiles. CONCLUSION: BV-1 cultures were suggested as potential agents for managing V. velutina as they produce volatile compounds that attract the hornet.