Two are better than one: the combinations of Beauveria bassiana, diatomaceous earth, and indoxacarb as effective wheat protectants

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2023 Jan 14. doi: 10.1007/s11356-022-25075-1. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTThe current study evaluates the efficacy of the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo-Crivelli) Vuillemin (Hypocreales: Cordycipitaceae), diatomaceous earth (DE) (Protect-It), and the oxadiazine indoxacarb, at single or combined applications on wheat kernels, for the management of the rusty grain beetle, Cryptolestes ferrugineus (Stephens) (Coleoptera: Laemophloeidae), the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), the khapra beetle, Trogoderma granarium Everts (Coleoptera: Dermestidae), and the lesser grain borer, Rhyzopertha dominica (F.) (Coleoptera: Bostrychidae). The study was conducted between November 2020 and August 2021 in Faisalabad under a complete randomized block design. The combination of DE + indoxacarb was the most efficient as it caused higher overall mortalities ranging between 59.34 and 100%, and lower overall progeny production ranging between 8.35 and 33.70 individuals per vial, than all other treatments. Beauveria bassiana alone exhibited the lowest mortality rates ranging between 22.33 and 47.76%, and the highest offspring emergence, ranging between 51.33 and 78.55 individuals per vial. Similar pattern was observed when persistence bioassays were conducted. For a period of 120 days, the DE + indoxacarb was the most powerful combination against all tested species, providing overall mortality rates between ...
Source: Environmental Science and Pollution Research International - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Source Type: research