ARS | Publication request: IMPORTANCE OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY CONTACT FOR INFECTION OF TRICHOPLUSIA NI LARVAE BY BEAUVERIA BASSIANA APPLICATIONS TO FIELD-GROWN CABBAGE

Submitted to: Entomological Society of America Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: November 17, 2004
Publication Date: November 14, 2004
Citation: Behle, R.W. 2004. Importance of primary and secondary contact for infection of Trichoplusia ni larvae by Beauveria bassiana applications to field-grown cabbage. Entomological Society of America Proceedings. Abstract #D0350.

Technical Abstract: Microbial pesticides have the characteristic of providing widely variable pest control results when applied to field environments. This variability results from many factors including the crop, plant development stage, weather, and application technique. Biopesticides made with Beauveria bassiana must contact the target pest to initiate infection and eventually provide control. This contact may result from direct spray contact (primary contact) or may occur during foraging by insects (secondary contact). This paper reports the results of field experiments in which cabbage plants, Brassica oleracea, 'Bravo' were artificially infested with neonate cabbage looper, Trichoplusia ni Hubner before and after applications of biopesticides. Several formulations (commercial and experimental) were applied to these plants and larvae were collected to determine the percentage of infection due to primary and secondary contact. Preliminary results indicate that both primary and secondary infection play an important role in pest control with Beauveria.