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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #66968
Title: MICROBIAL CONTROL OF CABBAGE MAGGOT - PRELIMINARY SCREENINGS OF FUNGAL ISOLATES, 1995.

Author
item MEADOW, RICHARD - NORWEGIAN RES INST.
item Vandenberg, John
item SHELTON, ANTHONY - CORNELL UNIVERSITY
item WATSON, D - CORNELL UNIVERSITY

Submitted to: Arthropod Management Tests
Publication Type: Research Notes
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/1/1996
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: The cabbage maggot is a serious world-wide pest of cabbage and related crucifer crops. Adult flies deposit eggs in the soil at the base of host plants. Young larvae invade plant roots and cause damage by stunting plant growth and reducing yield. Young, newly-transplanted crop seedlings can be killed by even moderate infestations of this pest. In this study we report tthe results of preliminary tests of strains of three species of fungi pathogenic to various insects for their ability to infect adult cabbage maggot. The most active strain was a strain of the fungus Beauveria bassiana, originally found infecting house flies. This fungus is being developed for stable fly control and will be tested further, along with other active strains, against the cabbage maggot in 1996.

Technical Abstract: Fifteen strains of three fungal species were tested for their pathogenicity toward adult cabbage maggot, Delia radicum. The fungi tested were Beauveria bassiana, Paecilomyces fumosoroseus, and Metarhizium anisopliae. Flies were exposed briefly to spore powders and then incubated in cages. Isolate P89 (B. bassiana) was the most active, killing all flies within 120 0h after exposure. All but 5 isolates were able to infect at least some flies. Further tests of active isolates will be done in 1996.