Compatibility of the fungus Beauveria bassiana and Trichoplusia ni SNPV against the cabbage looper Trichoplusia ni : crop plant matters

BACKGROUND: Microbial insecticides are an important weapon in insect pest management, but their use is still relatively limited. One approach for increasing their efficacy and use could be to combine different pathogens to increase pest mortality. However, little is known about whether increasing pathogen diversity will improve pest management. Here, we investigated the compatibility of two pathogens for the management of the cabbage looper, Trichoplusia ni; T. ni nucleopolyhedrovirus (TniSNPV) and the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana on two crops, tomato and broccoli. The pathogens were applied to individual plants using ultra low volume sprays, alone or in combination, either synchronously or asynchronously. Healthy 3rd instar T. ni larvae were introduced to the plants before application and collected by destructive sampling 24h after the last pathogen application.
RESULTS: Combined applications did not result in an increase in larval mortality compared to TniSNPV alone, alt..., Data overview:

date: September and October 2019
location: Simon Fraser University
larvae were reared from neonate in individual 1oz SOLO cups, fed artificial whet-germ based diet and kept at 25C, 16:8 L:D cycle, until 3rd instar
newly 3rd instar larvae were then randomly selected and transferred to one of the two host plants (broccoli and tomato) in a greenhouse
After pathogen application, larvae were collected and reared individually in 1oz SOLO cups, fed artificial whet-germ based diet and kept at 25C, 16:8 L:D cycle

Data collected:

individual date of death or pupation (survival)
cause of death
if death occured, death cause by fungal infection where checked for signs of sporulation on the cadaver
, , # Compatibility of the fungus Beauveria bassiana and Trichoplusia ni SNPV against the cabbage looper Trichoplusia ni : crop plant matters

Authors: Pauline S. Deschodt and Jenny S. Cory
Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Dr, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6,
Canada

Corresponding author: Pauline Deschodt, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University,
8888 University Dr, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada.

Keywords: Beauveria bassiana, crop plant, mixed infection, microbial pest control, nucleopolyhedrovirus, Trichoplusia ni

Overview:

* date: September and October 2019
* location: Simon Fraser University
* larvae were reared from neonate in individual 1oz SOLO cups, fed artificial whet-germ based diet and kept at 25C, 16:8 L:D cycle, until 3rd instar
* 20 newly 3rd instar larvae were randomly selected and transferred to one of the two host plant (broccoli and tomato) in a greenhouse
* after pathogen application, larvae were collected, r...