Comparative study of the effects of five Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin (Ascomycota: Hypocreales) strains on cabbage moth Plutella xylostella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae)

Abstract

Food production is adversely affected by numerous biotic and abiotic factors that lead to reduction in yield and poor quality of the food products. Use of commercially synthetic pesticides was the most common method for pest control in many agricultural crops during recent decades. These synthetic chemicals have effects on all living organism when they consume such crops treated with pesticides. This research attempted is a green regulation technology as an alternative method to control cabbage moth Plutella xylostella towards the reduction of release of toxic chemical and residue. Virulence studies on different strains (Bb6, Bb11, Bb115, Bb116 and Bb362) of Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin (Ascomycota: Hypocreales) were evaluated. Various doses at 0 (control) 10⁴, 10⁵, 10⁶, 10⁷, 10⁸ and 10⁹ conidies ml⁻¹ of five strains were applied topically on the third stage larvae of P. xylostella. Different parameters of larvae were measured in terms of mortality, sporulation rates, the number of pupae that emerged as adult, number of eggs laid between survived adults and the survival rate of larvae were examined at different doses, statistical analysis was performed using Cox-regression. We found that Bb11 strain of Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) produced highest virulence compared to other strains at 10⁹ conidia/ml while, Bb6 strains showed lower virulence effect at 10⁹ conidia/ml as compared to control dose. Due to the larvicidal effect of different fungus strains, the percentage weight of female adult decreased significantly as compare to the control.

Keywords:

• biological control
• Beauveria bassiana
• toxicity of pesticides entomogenous fungi
• lethal dose
• Plutella xylostella

PUBLIC INTEREST STATEMENT

Diamondback moth is considered as the main insect pest of brassica crops, particularly cabbages. The economic impact of diamondback moth is difficult to assess since it occurs in diverse small-scale and large-scale production areas, but it has been known to completely destroy cabbage and kale crops. It is considered a major pest in all countries of the eastern and southern African region. Beauveria bassiana offers potential for use as biopesticides for control of different pests in agriculture. In the present study, we compared the effect of five strains of Beauveria bassiana that could be an alternative to chemical pesticides.

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to their academic councils and the International Insttitute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA-Benin) for support in the form of infrastructural facilities made available for undertaking the present study.

Competing interests

The author declares no competing interests.

Additional information

Funding

The authors received no direct funding for this research.

Notes on contributors

Anicet Batcho

Anicet BATCHO, M.Sc in Crop Protection. Currently, Ph.D Scholar in Plant Molecular Biology/Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology, University of the Punjab. In my research, I have focused on using microorganisms like fungi to protect plants against insect pests and also identifying superior traits in plants.

Mohsin Ali

Mohsin Ali, Ph.D Scholar/School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China (USTC).

Adeyinka Olawale Samuel

Adeyinka Olawale Samuel, Masters of Science in Crop Improvement from University of Ibadan, Nigeria (2014). Ph.D scholar in Molecular Biology at the prestigious University of the Punjab, Pakistan.

Kamran Shehzad

Kamran Shahzad (Ph.D), Plant Breeding and Genetics and Molecular Biology.

Bushra Rashid

Bushra Rashid (Ph.D), Assistant Professor in charge of MPhil/PhD Programme, Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology, University of The Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan.