Evaluation of the Effect of Fungatol and Gamma-T-ol on the Emergence and Adult Parasitoid Survival of Mummies of Cotton Aphids Parasitized by Aphidius colemani

Beneficial insects play a major role in controlling pest populations. In sustainable agricultural production systems, control methods compatible with integrated pest management (IPM) are preferred over broad-spectrum pesticides. EOs from aromatic plants may provide a new and safe alternative to synthetic chemicals. In this research, the efficacy of Fungatol, Gamma-T-ol, Fungatol plus neem, and Gamma-T-ol plus neem was evaluated against Aphidius colemani Viereck (Hymenoptera: Braconidae; Aphidiidae), the parasitoid of the cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii Glover (Hemiptera: Aphididae). Under laboratory and greenhouse conditions, five different concentrations of each formulation were applied to parasitized mummies and adult parasitoids. Results for parasitoid emergence from aphid mummies sprayed with different concentrations of Fungatol, Gamma-T-ol, Fungatol plus neem, and Gamma-T-ol plus neem in the laboratory and glasshouse showed that the formulations did not adversely affect adult emergence as rates above 60% were observed. For residual toxicity tests done by exposing adult parasitoids to a fresh, dry biopesticide film sprayed on glass plates, less than 20% mortality was observed after 48 h of exposure. Adult longevity tests revealed that the highest concentrations of some of the formulations evaluated were slightly toxic to A. colemani. According to the IOBC rating, our results indicated that most of the tested concentrations for each formulation were harmless to A. colemani. Based on the above results, it may be proposed that the formulations evaluated in this study are potential botanical pesticide candidates for incorporation into an IPM program.

Chili pepper genotypes assay approach for resistance to Aphis gossypii (Hemiptera: Aphididae)

The cotton aphid (Aphis gossypii), is one of the most devastating insect pests for chili pepper that damages the crop and transmits several viruses. Thus far, there is no commercial chili cultivar with effective resistance to cotton aphids (CA). The present study aimed to develop a reliable and practical screening protocol in chili peppers for aphids resistance in the tropical areas. Three no-choice test methods i.e., seedling cage, detached leaf, and clip cage tests have been developed. The experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with four replications in a greenhouse at the Gunung Putri, Bogor, West Java, Indonesia. Seven chili pepper genotypes belong to the species Capsicum annuum L. provided by the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, IPB University, Bogor, Indonesia were used in this study. Chili pepper resistance to aphids was observed through the number of aphids progeny, and aphids fecundity among the genotypes. Two chili genotypes consistently showed low infestation while other genotypes showed the highest infestation with three screening methods. All the methods have a high heritability value (90%–91%), indicating that the evaluated chili genotypes could be used to determine effective screening methods. The correlation between the detached leaf and clip cage tests was significant (r = 0.84, P ≤ 0.05). Therefore, the clip cage test could be used as a reliable and practical screening test for the assay of chili peppers resistance to CA infestation. These information will be helpful in the development of aphid resistant cultivars in the future.

Residual toxicity of selected insecticides on Aphis gossypii and their safety limits on honeybees

Evaluation studies were carried out to simulate realistic field exposures of sulfoxaflor and flonicamid against Aphis gossypii at foraging time of Apis mellifera. Semi-field trials of field rates of sulfoxaflor and flonicamid against A. gossypii laboratory strain at 48 h of exposure had equipollent overall mean of mortality of 62.50 and 63.50%, respectively in season of 2020, likewise 60.50 and 62.50%, respectively in season of 2021. Lethal time values (LT1) had ranges of 51.33–32.46 days for sulfoxaflor and 49.00–39.55 days for flonicamid. Laboratory trials on foraging honeybees (∼21 days old) at 5 h of exposure showed an excellence for sulfoxaflor (5.00%) in overall mean of mortality compared to flonicamid (2.75%) in season of 2020. Likewise, sulfoxaflor (4.75%) surpassed flonicamid (2.75%) in season of 2021. The highest LT1s on honeybees for sulfoxaflor and flonicamid reached 27.45 and 10.94 days, respectively. International Organization for Biological Control classified both insecticides to be harmless on honeybees. Survival foraging bees exposed to LD50s of the tested insecticides had malformed digestive tracts gradually vanished along week of exposure. Suggestions for foliar spray stoppages prior to flowering period were mentioned for both insecticides.