AUTHOR(S)
Sindab S. J. Al-Dahwi1, Qasim H. Ahmed1, and Farhan J.M. Al-Behadili2

ABSTRACT

ABSTRACT  

Piercing-suckinginsects are among the most destructive pests affecting sunflower crops, causingsignificant losses and affecting the seed quality worldwide. The present studyevaluated the pathogenicity of fungi Baeuveria bassiana, Metarhiziumacridum, Lecanicillum muscarium, and Isaria fumosoroseaagainst three major piercing-sucking pests of sunflower, which were the lacebug Galeatus scrophicus, the cotton aphid Aphis gossypii, and thewhitefly Bemisia tabaci. Laboratory bioassays were conducted undercontrolled environmental conditions at 25 ± 2°C and 65–70% relative humidity.Fungal suspensions were prepared at a concentration of 1 × 10⁷conidia mL^-1 and applied using a leaf spray bioassay technique. Eachtreatment consisted of five replicates with ten insects per replicate. Theresults indicated significant differences in the pathogenicity of fungalspecies against targeted pests. The highest mortality was recorded with B.bassiana and M. acridum, reaching 100% on G. scrophicus and A.gossypii within 7 days post-treatment, while causing 92.2 and 88.6%mortality on B. tabaci, respectively. There was a significant differencebetween the treatments of L. muscarium and I.fumosorosea, with lace bug control of 77.8% and 86.2%, respectively, after7 days of post-treatment. In comparison, the effect of L.muscarium and I. fumosorosea on A. gossypii was 85.5and 92.6%, respectively. The impact of L. muscariumand I. fumosorosea on B. tabaci was 75.5 and 85.4%, respectively. The mortality rate increased gradually over time andreached 100% across all targeted insects by day 8 due to fungal infection andcolonization of insect hosts.

Keywords: sunflower pests, biological control,entomopathogenic fungi, biopesticides, sucking pests

DOI
https://doi.org/10.57182/jbiopestic.19.1.43-49

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