Greenhouse and field evaluation of two biopesticides against Tetranychus urticae and Panonychus ulmi (Acari: Tetranychidae)

Abstract

SUMMARYThe mycopesticide Naturalis (based on Beauveria bassiana strain ATCC 74040) and botanical pesticide Kingbo (based on oxymatrine, an alkaloid from Sophora flavescens, a traditional Chinese herb) were tested against the two-spotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae) on greenhouse vegetables and the European red mite (Panonychus ulmi) on apples. These biopesticide products were applied twice at 5-day interval and concentrations of 0.1% and 0.2%, and their effectiveness was compared to abamectin-based products and the synthetic acaricides acrinathrin and spirodiclofen, applied once at their recommended rates. The mycopesticide Naturalis, applied at 0.1% concentration against T. urticae on cucumber, reduced mite population density by 85-86%, achieving 91-93% efficacy. In a trial on tomato, efficacy reached some 96%, while population density was reduced by 93%. In a field trial on apple, Naturalis demonstrated an increasing and long-lasting effectiveness against the summer population of P. ulmi of nearly 100%, and population reduction was achieved in assessments 30 days after the first treatment. Naturalis applied at a double rate achieved a somewhat better effect but only in the first trial. The botanical pesticide Kingbo, applied at 0.1% concentration, demonstrated very high control efficacy (≥98%) and population density reduction (≥96%) of T. urticae in both trials. A high and long-lasting effectiveness of this bioacaricide was also achieved in a trial on P. ulmi. Its concentration of 0.2% achieved similar effect. The results in these trials indicate that applications of the mycopesticide Naturalis and the botanical pesticide Kingbo can provide effective control of T. urticae on cucumber and tomato grown in greenhouses, as well as P. ulmi on apple.

Efficiency of botanical pesticides against some pests infesting hydroponic cucumber, cultivated under greenhouse conditions

“…Alkaloid matrine is the active ingredient obtained from the dry roots of Sophora flavescens Ait, which is richly found in the roots of few species from the genus Sophora (Mao and Henderson 2007). It has high toxicity against various insect pests and used for the management of leafhoppers, mites, aphids, and caterpillars and bacterial and fungal diseases (Marcic et al 2012). Moreover, it is also used for the management of stored commodities pests (Liu et al 2007).…”

Synthesis, characterization and in vitro biological evaluation of two matrine derivatives

“…Matrine has also been used as an important traditional botanical pesticide 15 , due to its wide range of insecticidal activities, anti-plant virus activity and fungicidal activity in the agricultural field, and being friendly to natural environment 16 , 17 . More recently, matrine has been used in isolated form or in mixtures with other botanical extracts and synthetic pesticides for the control of termites, aphids, leafhoppers, caterpillars and mites, fungal and bacterial diseases and nematodes in areas of production of vegetables, fruits, flowers and teas in China 15 , 16 , 18 – 20 as well as in the management of pests of stored grains 21 . Now, matrine has also been commercialized as a broad spectrum insecticide (named as Kudun); however, their insecticidal activities were two orders of magnitude lower than the world’s most popular pesticides discovered by the international pesticide companies in the last ten years.…”

Pathogenicity of Isaria fumosorosea to European red mite in the laboratory

“…Escassa é a pesquisa publicada a respeito de controle microbiano de P. ulmi em laboratório e em nível de campo (SANTAMARINA et al, 1987;AFIFI et al, 2010;MARCIC et al, 2012). Assim, objetivou-se com este trabalho avaliar em laboratório o efeito patogênico do fungo I. fumosorosea sobre ovos e adultos de P. ulmi.…”