The main purpose of this study was to determine the insecticidal activity of mixtures of Bacillus thuringiensis crystalline toxins and plant substances that could contribute to create a new bioinsecticide of high efficiency. We decided to determine the toxicity of crystals of B. thuringiensis MPU B9 isolate, azadirachtin (NeemAzal), mustard oil and their mixtures against lepidopteran pests: Cydia pomonella, Spodoptera exigua and Dendrolimus pini. The interaction of the components in mixtures against insects was evaluated and their utility in plant protection was assessed. The crystals and plant substances showed synergistic effect against all insect species. The occurrence of synergism between two components depended on the ratio of their concentration in mixtures. Slight amount of one of the components added to the mixture led to enhanced toxicity of the preparation. The supplementation of mustard oil with B. thuringiensis toxins from up to 0.3% of the mixture resulted in more than twofold higher observed mortality of L1 larvae of D. pini in comparison with expected mortality. The beneficial insecticidal effect of the mustard oil and crystals mixture was also noted when crystals comprised up to 1.3% and from 7 to 20% against L1 caterpillars of C. pomonella and L3 larvae of S. exigua, respectively. The insecticidal efficient effect was achieved when mixture of B. thuringiensis crystals and azadirachtin was used against the three species of lepidopteran pests. The combinations in which components interacted synergistically against caterpillars are potentially useful for making a new bioinsecticide for controlling lepidopteran pests in plant protection.

Our research provides novel information concerning the insecticidal activity of Brassica alba mustard oil applied to the intestinal tract via insects' diet against pests from the order Lepidoptera: Cydia pomonella, Dendrolimus pini, and Spodoptera exigua. The LC 50 value of the oil against C. pomonella was 0.422 mg ⋅ ml -1 . The LC 50 of the plant oil against D. pini was 11.74 mg ⋅ ml -1 . The LC 50 of the botanical product against S. exigua was 11.66 mg ⋅ ml -1 . The plant substance was the most active against C. pomonella in comparison with D. pini and S. exigua. The LC 50 values of the oil against D. pini and S. exigua were similar. The plant oil exhibited high insecticidal activity against pests from the order Lepidoptera and may prove to be an effective biopesticide.