Cage and field assessments of Beauveria bassiana-based Mycoinsecticides for Myzus persicae Sulzer (Hemiptera: Aphididae) control in cabbage.

The efficiency of formulated Beauveria bassiana-based mycoinsecticides to control Myzus persicae (Sulzer) in cabbage was assessed under field conditions. Aqueous conidial suspensions (0.01% Tween 80 + 0.01% v/v Agral) of three fungal isolates were sprayed twice at different dates, each with 2.0 x 10(9) viable conidia per potted plant using screened cages. The number of nymphs and adults of M. persicae per leaf was significantly reduced in plots treated with isolates CG 864 and PL 63, with control efficiency ranging from 57% to 60%. Further field trials using screened cages with isolate CG 864 formulated as oil dispersion reduced the aphid population by 85-87% as compared to the control, whereas a 71% reduction was seen in plants treated with the aqueous conidial suspension 20 days following the first spray. The last experiment was conducted in a commercial cabbage field (without cages), in which the fungus was applied at three different dates, each with an equivalent of 1.0 x 10(13) viable conidia/ha. The reduction in the number of aphids per leaf was more evident between four and five weeks following the first spray, resulting in 76-83% and 57-65% control efficiency for oil dispersions and unformulated conidia, respectively. However, with the exception of imidacloprid-treated plants, rapid aphid re-infestation was observed in all treatments. In this study, the stand-alone use of mycoinsecticides for aphid control was not a satisfactory strategy, although utilization of B. bassiana in IPM strategies remains a field to be explored.