Journal of Biological Control

Entomopathogenic nematodes as a lethal bioagent to deter Pieris brassicae L. (Lepidoptera: Pieridae) infesting different cole crops: A review

2024-03-07T19:16:05+0530

Cole crops are the most important and attractive vegetables, belonging to the family Cruciferae are extremely grown all over the world. In India, their annual production has been reported to be about 191.77 million metric tons so chips into the economy by a huge amount. Pieris brassicae, one of the dreaded insect pests incur damage to different vegetables to a tune of 40%. To curb this pest damage various synthetic insecticides are applied, albeit showing promising results yet posing drastic negative imprints on non-target organisms, environment and pest resistance. These drawbacks demand a perfect alternative which seals all the glitches created by the chemical insecticides. For this Infective Juveniles (IJs) of Entomopathogenic Nematodes (EPNs) act as perfect biological agents. So, work done in these lines has been reviewed to facilitate students and researchers for advanced research related to entomopathogenic nematodes and P. brassicae.

Enhancing pest management - Utilizing supplementary food spray to harness predatory insects against fall armyworm in maize crop of Vinh Phuc Province, Vietnam

2024-05-10T17:04:01+0530

The effect of supplementary food spray on the fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) and beneficial insects (predominantly predatory insects) was studied in commercial maize field experiments from 2020 to 2022. The food spray formulation was developed from local ingredients in Vietnam, both with and without neem extract. The sugar-based rice dough product attracted and sustained beneficial insects, significantly reducing fall armyworm populations. Compared to conventional insecticide treatments, the net margin achieved in plots treated with food spray was higher ($3,467) to $3,394 in the conventional insecticide-treated plots demonstrating its economic viability (1 AUD=17.28 VND). Our study observed an average predator-to-prey ratio of 9.2:1 per plant in the food-spray-treated plots, and that was effective in managing the fall armyworm throughout the season. We propose that this ratio can serve as a valuable parameter and decisionmaking tool in food spray-based Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs against fall armyworm in maize fields. Therefore, we suggest that food sprays can be incorporated into IPM strategies to successfully manage fall armyworm infestation in maize crop.

Exploring the bio-efficacy of biocontrol agents in mitigating Meloidogyne incognita menace in carrot cultivation

2024-05-10T17:50:50+0530

The nematicidal efficacy of liquid formulation of Pochonia chlamydosporia, Bacillus subtilis, Purpureocillium lilacinum, Trichoderma viride and vermiculite formulation of Rhizophagus intraradices were challenged against Meloidogyne incognita under glasshouse conditions. The in vivo experiment were piloted to test the potential of these biological agents by soil drenching of liquid formulation @ 1 ml/ pot or soil application of vermiculite formulation @ 1g/pot/dose. Their effect was compared with the granular application of Carbofuran @ 1g/pot/dose. All the liquid bioformulations investigated were capable of enhancing plant growth and lowering the pathogenicity and parasitic success of M. incognita in carrots. The soil drenching of P. chlamydosporia caused a significant reduction of galls in the root (51%), nematode population in the root (43.6%), egg mass in the root (65.3%) and infective juvenile population in soil (51.8%) over other treatments and Carbofuran.

Effect of adjuvants on growth and spore attributes of Metarhizium anisopliae (Metsch.) Sorokin

2024-05-14T19:55:53+0530

The pathogenicity of the fungus, Metarhizium anisopliae, commonly referred to as the green muscardine fungus, has been demonstrated against numerous insect species inhabiting various habitats. Laboratory experiments were carried out to investigate the impact of naturally derived adjuvants on the growth and spore characteristics of M. anisopliae. The natural polysaccharide (guar gum, gum acacia and carboxymethyl cellulose), vegetable oil (groundnut and cottonseed oil) and a synthetic adjuvant were used in the study at three distinct concentrations: 0.05%, 0.1%, and 0.2% v/v or w/v. Among the various adjuvants tested, both gum acacia and guar gum at concentrations of 0.1% and 0.2% were observed to have a positive impact on the growth of the fungus, resulting in enhanced radial mycelial growth, conidiospore production, surface area coverage, and conidiospore germination. Conversely, this fundamental study highlights the detrimental effects of synthetic adjuvants on the growth and spore characteristics of M. anisopliae.

Identification of entomopathogenic fungi from insect pests of mango and their efficacy against mango hoppers

2024-07-17T19:30:37+0530

Surveys were made in the Sindhudurg and Ratnagiri districts of the Konkan region of Maharashtra, India during 2017-2018 for the collection of mummified insect samples from different mango orchards in order to isolate entomopathogenic fungi. The collected mummified insect samples were brought to the laboratory and incubated on PDA plates. Those samples showing growth on PDA plates were sub-cultured until pure fungus growth was obtained. They were tested for their pathogenicity in the laboratory and 14 samples were found pathogenic to mango hoppers. They were sent to NFCCI, Agarkar Research Institute, Pune for identification. Out of the 14 entomopathogenic samples identified, 7 were from Genus Fusarium, 4 were mixed cultures of Fusarium and Aspergillus, and one sample each from Genus Trichoderma, Mucor and Nigrospora. Studies showed that Fusarium species were the most common entomopathogenic fungi associated with mango pests, especially mango hoppers. Laboratory evaluation of these samples showed that amongst different isolated entomogenus fungi, <i>Fusarium semitectum</i> sample 16(1) was more pathogenic to mango hoppers than other fungal samples. Field evaluation of this sample also proved its efficacy.

In vitro studies on the development of microbial consortia for the management of major diseases in coconut and citrus

2024-07-18T14:00:34+0530

Microbial consortia for disease suppression involve combining multiple beneficial microorganisms to enhance their effectiveness in plant disease management. In present study, development of microbial consortia for the management of major diseases in coconut and citrus was carried out using bacteria Pseudomonas fluorescens, Pseudomonas putida (striata), Bacillus subtilis and fungi – Trichoderma reesei, T. harzianum, T. asperellum against major pathogens viz. Ganoderma lucidum, Thielaviopsis paradoxa, Phytopthora palmivora, Lasiodiplodia theobromae isolated from the coconut rhizosphere, and Fusarium solani isolated from the citrus rhizosphere. The promising fungal and bacterial antagonists were identified and studied for compatibility. Non-volatile compounds of consortia inhibited the test pathogens with an increase in concentration from 10 % to 75% with fungal consortia and bacterial consortia and also with mixed consortia which is composed of bacterial consortia + fungal consortia. Superior growth suppression was recorded with mixed consortia even at 10% concentration (59.44% to 65.83%) against the test pathogens in the ascending order of L. theobromae (59.44%) T. paradoxa (63.89%), G. lucidum (65.83%), P. palmivora (63.61%) and F. solani (62.78%). A similar trend was observed in 75% concentration where inhibition observed in the order of Thielaviopsis paradoxa (90.28%), G. lucidum (89.44%), F. solani (82.50%), L. theobromae (81.94%) and P. palmivora (81.39%). Volatile effect by bacterial consortia recorded the superior inhibition on test pathogens in the order of Ganoderma (85.28%), F. solani (75.28%), T. paradoxa (71.94%), P. palmivora (71.67%) and L. theobrome (67.50%) compared to the individual bioagents. Similarly, the fungal consortia showed the superior inhibitory effect on test pathogens in the order of G. lucidum (83.25%), P. palmivora (82.50%), L. theobromae (83.06%), F. solani (80.56%) and T. paradoxa (73.61%). Since there was no zone of inhibition between the strains, the interactions between Pseudomonas and Bacillus strains of Trichoderma spp. were compatible with one another. Neem cake recorded superior CFU population from 9.43 X 10⁶ CFU at seven days by T. asperellum. Shelf life study on mixed consortia with bacterial + fungal bioagents in talc formulation indicated that all the bacterial and fungal CFU count recorded in 10⁶ dilution for 90 days.

Exploration of three native strains of entomopathogenic fungi against rice yellow hairy caterpillar, Psalis pennatula (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae): An emerging pest of rainfed rice in Assam

2024-05-28T10:42:11+0530

Rice yellow hairy caterpillar Psalis pennatula Fabricius (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae) is an emerging pest of rice and an increased incidence is expected in different rice-growing areas of Assam in the coming years. The caterpillar is a voracious leaf feeder and can consume the whole leaves within a day. Keeping this in view, an attempt was made to evaluate the bio-efficacy of three important native isolates of entomopathogenic fungal strains viz. Beauveria bassiana (KR855715), Cordyceps javanica (OM321438) and Isaria fumosorosea (MH414514) against P. pennatula larvae under laboratory conditions during the Sali season of rice. All three EPF strains at different conidial dilutions (1x10³, 1x10⁵,1x10⁷, 1x10⁸ and1x10⁹ conidia/ml) were found to be pathogenic to the 3^rd instar larvae of P. pennatula. Among the tested fungal strains, the strain Isaria fumosorosea (MH414514) showed the highest mortality (100%) at 1x10⁷ conidia/ml and Cordyceps javanica (OM321438) showed the lowest mortality (51%) at 1x10⁷conidia/ml at 10^th day of post-treatment. The tested fungal isolates could play a vital role as microbial biopesticides in suppressing the P. pennatula population in Assam and could be incorporated into IPM strategies.

Annotated checklist of chalcidid (Hymenoptera: Chalcididae) fauna of the Chhattisgarh region

2024-09-09T10:11:26+0530

Chalcidid wasps are a diverse group of insects belonging to the order Hymenoptera and family Chalcididae. They are natural biocontrol agents for many agricultural and forestry pests. The present study was undertaken from 2021 to 2023. The objective of this study was to document the Chalcididae diversity from the Chhattisgarh region. Based on this study, the first checklist of chalcidid wasps from Chhattisgarh state is prepared. In total, 71 species of chalcidid wasps were collected from 11 genera falling under four subfamilies. The chalcidid wasps identified belonged to the subfamilies, Chalcidinae, Dirhininae, Epitraninae and Haltichellinae of which, subfamily Haltichellinae was found to be most predominant. The results of this preliminary study shed light on the hidden biodiversity of chalcidid wasps.

New distributional records of twelve encyrtid parasitoids (Chalcidoidea: Encyrtidae) across various Indian states, including some new host associations

2024-05-28T10:38:19+0530

Twelve encyrtid species viz. Agarwalencyrtus citri (Agarwal), Alamella flava Agarwal, Anomalicornia tenuicornis Mercet, Cryptanusia ajmerensis (Fatma & Shafee), Yasumatsuiola orientalis (Trjapitzin), Ethoris dahmsi Noyes and Hayat, Hemileucoceras longicornis Hayat, Hesperencyrtus gordhi (Fatma & Shafee), Monstranusia antennata (Narayanan), Paratetracnemoidea malenotti, (Mercet), Pentelicus depunctatus Manickavasagam & Chaitanya and Pentelicus punctatus Manickavasagam & Chaitanya are newly recorded from different states of India. From the present work, Anaesius hayati reared from an unidentified mealybug from an unknown weed, Gentakola trifasciata reared from Maconellicoccus hirsutus, Ooencyrtus penchants reared from an unidentified diaspidid scale on cotton and O. segestes reared from unidentified Heteroptera eggs from citrus and pomegranate were first host records and Anaesius advena reared from unidentified bug egg from cocoa, Prochiloneurus pulchellus and P. aegyptiacus reared from Phenacoccus solenopsis, Metaphycus sp. reared from mango galls and Proleurocerus montanus reared from unidentified mealybug on unknown weed were additional new host records.

Extraction and evaluation of chitosan as an insecticide against saw-toothed grain beetle, Oryzaephilus surinamensis L. (Coleoptera: Silvanidae)

2024-09-09T04:20:45+0530

Rice samples infested with saw-toothed grain beetles have been collected from a local market in the city of Kirkuk/Iraq. The study was conducted in Kirkuk during the period 15 December 2023 to 25 April 2024, at College of Pure Sciences at the University of Kirkuk, Iraq. Chitosan was utilised in the study to examine its toxic effects at three different concentrations (0.5, 1.0, 1.5 ppm) on the life cycle of the saw-toothed grain beetle, focusing on oviposition rate, duration of larval and pupal stages, and mortality rate of its adults. The chemical demonstrated a substantial effect in lowering the number of eggs laid as the concentration increased, with the control treatment registering the highest oviposition rate of 314.14 eggs compared to 209.31, 117.03, and 61.12 eggs for chitosan concentrations of 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 ppm, respectively. The shortest egg incubation period recorded was 8.17 days, Incubation times for chitosan treatments increased significantly to 9.66, 11.69, and 14.00 days for concentrations of 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 ppm, respectively, demonstrating an inverse association with concentration levels. Furthermore, the emergence rate of beetles decreased as concentration increased. The emergence counts for the chitosan treatments at concentrations of 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 ppm dropped to 133.11, 55.69, and 30.12 beetles, respectively, with the control treatment having the highest average emergence of 289.43 beetles. The larval stage duration showed a direct proportionality with chitosan concentrations, with the 1.5 ppm concentration marking the longest larval duration at 22.00 days, significantly surpassing all other concentrations. The control treatment recorded the shortest duration at 13.56 days, whereas 0.5 and 1.0 ppm concentrations resulted in duration of 17.19 and 19.66 days, respectively. For the pupal stage, significant differences were observed with increasing chitosan concentration; the control treatment displayed the shortest pupal duration at 4.33 days. A direct relationship was found between the concentrations and pupal stage duration, reducing the period to 6.00, 7.59, and 9.07 days for concentrations of 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 ppm, respectively. Chitosan exhibited significant differences from the second day of the experiment, as the mortality rate increased with concentration and over time. The concentration of 1.5 ppm showed the highest mortality rate at 98.62% after 16 days, whereas the control treatment recorded the lowest rate at 33.17%. Based on the results of the current study, chitosan can be utilized as an effective pesticide for controlling stored-product pests, particularly the saw-toothed grain beetle.

Endophytic fungi from Dichrocephala integrifolia: Diversity, antifungal properties, enzymatic activities, and plant growth promotion

2024-04-22T11:37:21+0530

Dichrocephala integrifolia is a wild medicinal plant utilised in traditional healing and Ayurveda to cope up with several health issues by various groups of people around the world. Medicinal plants are associated with diverse fungal endophytes with potential bioactive properties. In this investigation, 26 fungal endophytes were isolated from D. integrifolia and three sterile forms using the Petri plate culture method. The endophytic isolation rate was highest for inflorescence (35.97%) and lowest for stem (15.61%). The highest colonization frequency was shown by F. solani (8.37%) and the lowest by Sterile morphotype 3 (1.36%). Out of the four plant parts, inflorescence was found to be highly infected, displaying an infection rate of 93.43% and the least infection occurred in the stem with 45%. The maximum number of isolated endophytic fungi belongs to the class Sordariomycetes, with a relative occurrence (%) of 71.72%. The Simpson’s diversity index reveals that the leaf endophytes were more diverse (0.94). Qualitative antifungal activity of the sporulating isolates against Curvularia lunata has shown that the maximum number of endophytes possessed Class 3 antagonism. Four isolates were selected based on screening of their antagonistic activity and their antifungal inhibition was calculated against nine fungal phytopathogens. Maximum inhibition (100%) was shown by Trichoderma sp. 2 (S2B2) against Alternaria alternata, A. brassicicola, Colletotrichum capsici, C. lunata, and Ustilaginoidea virens and least inhibition by Gliocladium sp. 1 (19.78%) against C. lunata. The four isolates were found to produce protease, lipase, amylase and cellulase enzymes. The isolates produced ammonia and hydrogen cyanide, but none of the isolates could solubilize phosphate. Potent biocontrol agents are much needed to replace synthetic chemicals and restore soil microflora.

Population dynamics and diversity of pests and natural enemies in various organic rice regimes across different phenological stages in rice

2024-05-10T16:50:39+0530

A field study was conducted at the ICAR-Indian Institute of Rice Research to investigate insect pest populations and their natural enemies in different organic rice modules during the rabi 2020 season. Three organic rice regimes, farmers’ practice and untreated control were compared across three phenological stages in rice for the population dynamics of pests and natural enemies of Hemiptera and Hymenoptera. Sampling was done fortnightly for three months using various methods such as visual counting, sticky traps, sweep netting, and D-net. Pest and predator populations peaked during the vegetative stage, while parasitoids peaked during the reproductive stage. Pest population means were highest in untreated control during the reproductive and ripening stages exhibiting the impact of treatments. The predator population was highest in untreated control during the vegetative and reproductive stage, while parasitoid population size was highest in Pseudomonas treatment in the vegetative and reproduction stages of the crop and the Trichoderma treatment in the ripening stage. Predator diversity was highest in untreated control during vegetative and reproductive stages of the crop while parasitoid diversity was maximum during reproductive and ripening stage. Pearson’s correlation coefficient between the population of pests and natural enemies was found to be positive and highly significant.

First Report of Tetrastichus howardi (Olliff) and Chelonus formosanus Sonan as parasitoids of fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith), in Pakistan

2024-08-21T17:57:58+0530

Fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith), an invasive agricultural pest, causes substantial economic losses in Pakistan. This study reports the first record of Tetrastichus howardi (Olliff) and Chelonus formosanus Sonan as natural enemies parasitising S. frugiperda within the country. Parasitoids were collected from infested maize fields and identified through morphological analysis. This discovery enhances our understanding of the natural enemy complex associated with S. frugiperda in Pakistan and provides a foundation for investigating their potential as biological control agents. These findings underscore the potential of these parasitoids as components of integrated pest management systems to diminish reliance on chemical insecticides and foster sustainable agricultural practices.

Validation of molecular markers linked to bruchid resistance in green gram (Vigna radiata)

2024-05-07T15:55:40+0530

The pulse beetle, Callosobruchus spp., poses a threat to legumes by consuming the protein content of the grain, resulting in potential losses in storage ranging from 12 to 30%. Molecular marker technology helps to mitigate the breeding constraint in the development of bruchid resistance in green gram breeding programmes. In the present study, validation of locus-specific STSbr1 and STSbr2 markers linked with bruchid resistance was done using fifteen genotypes viz., VBN (Gg) 2 (susceptible) and Vigna radiata var. sublobata/2 (resistant), F₁ hybrid, two susceptible and ten resistant RILs derived from the above parents. The marker STS br1 behaved as a dominant marker and produced an approximate allele size of 225 bp in the resistant parent, F₁ hybrid and resistant RILs and absent in susceptible parent and susceptible RILs, which showed cent per cent co-segregation with bruchid resistance locus. Hence, it is concluded that STS br1 is linked with bruchid-resistant genes. The marker STS br2 behaved as a co-dominant marker and produced an approximate allele size of 470 bp in all the 15 genotypes evaluated (monomorphic) and did not differentiate the resistant and susceptible genotypes. The marker STS br1 could be used in marker-assisted selection to develop bruchid-resistant varieties and to screen the germplasm to identify bruchid-resistant donors in green gram.

Occurrence of scarab species belonging to Cetoniinae and Sericinae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) on Lantana camara L. in India

2024-10-03T11:13:29+0530

Lantana camara L. (Verbenaceae) is deemed as one of the world’s toughest weeds posing major threats to the biodiversity and ecosystem. Lantana has been subject to numerous biocontrol attempts in India and other parts of the world. A survey of the phytophagous scarab species associated with Lantana camara was undertaken in Shettihalli village of Karnataka, India during 2024. The study yielded one Sericinae species, Maladera mutabilis (Fabricius, 1775), and five Cetoniinae species, viz., Clinteria klugi (Hope, 1831), Anthracophora crucifera (Olivier, 1789), Protaetia aurichalcea (Fabricius, 1775), Gametis versicolor (Fabricius, 1775) and Tephraea cinerea (Kraatz, 1898). Two species, G. versicolor and C. klugi were found to be abundant and predominant in Lanatana ecosystem. Their potential as biocontrol agents of the weed need to be ascertained.