Brassica nigra and Curcuma longa compounds affecting interactions between Spodoptera exigua and its natural enemies Costesig flavipes and Podisus maculiventris

Authors: TAVARES, WAGNER - Universidade Federal De Vicosa; Legaspi, Jesusa; DE CASTRO, ANCIDERITON - Universidade Federal De Vicosa; HASEEB, MUHAMMAD - Florida A & M University; Meagher, Robert - Rob; KANGA, LAMBERT - Florida A & M University; ZANUNCIO, JOSE - Universidade Federal De Vicosa

Submitted to: Dose Response
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/8/2019
Publication Date: 3/10/2019
Citation: Tavares, W., Legaspi, J.C., De Castro, A., Haseeb, M., Meagher Jr, R.L., Kanga, L.H., Zanuncio, J.C. 2019. Turmeric powder and its derivatives of Curcuma longa and black mustard oil of Brassica nigra affecting interactions among Spodoptera exigua and its natural Cotesia flavipes and Podisus maculiventris. Dose Response. https://doi.org/10.1177/1559325819827454.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1559325819827454

Interpretive Summary: The beet armyworm is a serious invasive pest of many vegetable, field and flower crops. Unfortunately, beet armyworm has developed resistance to traditional chemical pesticides. The implementation of an Integrated Pest Management program that incorporates the use of plant-based organic insecticides coupled with a synergist along with biological control agents has the potential to be used as an alternative control method for the beet armyworm. However when several control methods are applied together, the integrated effects may be antagonistic. Scientists at the USDA-ARS, Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology, Tallahassee and Gainesville, FL, in collaboration with those at Universidade Federal de Vicosa, Sohag University, and Florida A&M University collaborated to investigate the interactions of a proposed multiplex control system for the beet armyworm. The analysis examined the combined use of botanical insecticides (turmeric, its derivatives, and black mustard oil), applied with and without a synergist on beet armyworm, and wasp parasitism on predation by the spined soldier bug. Beet armyworm larvae were parasitized by a wasp, then treated with the botanicals to see if they would still be eaten by the spined soldier bug. The addition of a synergist increased the toxicity of the botanicals to the younger instars of the spined soldier bug and reduced the level of predation. Parasitized beet armyworms treated with botanicals were still consumed by the soldier bug. The botanical insecticides possibly killed the developing parasitic wasp larvae, thereby rendering the beet armyworm acceptable as prey to the spined soldier bug. This study shows that care must be taken when selecting and applying multiple control measures simultaneously in order to achieve the greatest level of pest control.

Technical Abstract: The interaction among Spodoptera exigua Hübner, 1808 (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and its natural enemies Cotesia flavipes Cameron, 1891 (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) and Podisus maculiventris Say, 1832 (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) with botanical compounds and the addition of synergist to insecticide solutions were studied. The objective of this study was to evaluate the selectivity of Curcuma longa L. (Zingiberales: Zingiberaceae) and Brassica nigra L. (Brassicales: Brassicaceae) compounds, with the synergist PbO added to the solutions, to P. maculiventris and that of this predator fed on S. exigua caterpillars treated after being submitted to parasitism by C. flavipes. The turmeric essential oil of C. longa was highly toxic to P. maculiventris nymphs by topical application and that of black mustard the most toxic in the ingestion bioassay. The PbO increased the effect of turmeric powder and that of essential oil on P. maculiventris nymphs.