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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Fort Pierce, Florida » U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory » Subtropical Insects and Horticulture Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #296047

Title: Pre shipping dip treatments using soap, natural oils, and Isaria fumosorosea: potential biopesticides for mitigating the spread of whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) invasive insects on ornamental plants

Author
item ARISTIZABAL, LUIS - University Of Florida
item AVERY, PASCO - University Of Florida
item KUMAR, VIVEK - University Of Florida
item CALDWELL, JEAN - University Of Florida
item McKenzie, Cindy
item OSBORNE, LANCE - University Of Florida

Submitted to: Florida Entomological Society Annual Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/17/2013
Publication Date: 7/17/2013
Citation: Aristizabal, L.F., Avery, P.B., Kumar, V., Caldwell, J.H., McKenzie, C.L., Osborne, L.S. 2013. Pre shipping dip treatments using soap, natural oils, and Isaria fumosorosea: potential biopesticides for mitigating the spread of whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) invasive insects on ornamental plants [abstract]. Florida Entomological Society Annual Meeting. Paper No. 54.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyodidae) is an invasive insect pest affecting different crops including vegetables, fruits, cereals, and ornamentals. The efficacy of some products such as commercial soap, natural oils and Preferal® (based on the entomopathogenic fungus Isaria fumosorosea Apopka Strain 97) are being evaluated as potential biopesticides in order to prevent the spread of the whitefly on ornamental shipments from nurseries in Florida to others states. Clean Mentha sp. (Lamiales: Lamiaceae) are infested by exposure to whitefly adults during a 24 h period. Then, adult whiteflies are removed and the number of eggs counted on individual cutting terminals. The cuttings are submerged in a solution (dip application) for 60 seconds with different products and maintained under a mist bed for 8-10 days for rooting. Next, the plants are placed into a shipping environment inside boxes (darkness for 24 or 48 h at 20 °C) (15 individual plants/box) used by commercial nurseries. Insect assessments are conducted at 1, 7, and 14 days after shipping in order to count the whitefly population (eggs, immature stages, and adults). Each treatment has 6 repetitions and the experiment is has 4 replications. Preferal® appears to be a promising treatment based on high mortality and low survival of whitefly populations. Pre-shipping dip application of cuttings has a high potential to mitigate the spread of the whitefly on ornamental plants shipped to different places.