Impact of area-wide extension approach for bio-management of rhinoceros beetle with Metarhizium anisopliae

<p>Area-wide community extension approach (AWCA) was pilot tested for bio-management of rhinoceros beetle in Edava panchayat of Thiruvananthapuram district, Kerala state during the period 2010-2013. It focused on holdings having potential breeding sites of the pest and were treated with green muscardine fungus (GMF) <em>Metarhizium anisopliae</em> (Metsch.), multiplied at farm level by trained farm women groups. The project was implemented as participatory action research in an area of 520 ha of coconut involving over 5500 small and marginal farmers and stakeholders. AWCA proved to reduce the variability of technology impact in pest management compared to individual level of adoption. Significant reduction in the percentage incidence of rhinoceros beetles (72.9 ± 9.3 to 58.1 ± 9.3) was achieved in Edava panchayat whereas, it was more or less same (74.5%) during the period 2010-2013 in a non-intervention area (Kottamkara panchayat in Kollam district), where, only conventional extension approach followed. Similarly the average number of symptoms in coconut fronds per palm was also found to be reduced in AWCA area. It ranged from 1.6 to 4.6 before interventions and reduced to a range of 1.0 to 2.8 after interventions. In the non-intervention area it remained almost same (2.9 and 3.0 cuts per palm, respectively in 2010 and 2013). Impact of AWCA was observed to be more or less geographically contiguous on depicting the percentage reduction in severity of rhinoceros infestation in different wards of Edava panchayat using GIS tools.</p>

Distribution, Spread and Management Practices Against Rice Black Bug in Leyte

Rice black bug infestation in the island of Leyte was noticed in late 2001 in Libagon, Southern Leyte. Spread of infestation continued irregularly in many municipalities of Leyte in a year. Light trapping, delayed and synchronous rice planting, duck herding, handpicking of rice blag bug, fallowing, weeding and application of Metarhizium anisopliae were some of the control strategies done by farmers in reducing rice black bug population. Natural enemies that were observed to be present in the field were Solenopsis sp. (red ant), Micraspis crocet Mulsant (coccinellid beetle), Ophionia nigrofasciata (Schmidt-Goebel) [ground beeetle], Metioche vittaticollis (cricket), salticid (jumping spider), Tetragnatha sp. (four-jawed spider), Lycosa sp. (ground spider), and Oxyopes sp. (lynx spider), Telenomus sp. (Order Hymenoptera, wasp) and M. anisopliae (green muscardine fungus)

POSSIBILITY OF USING WHITE AND GREEN MUSCARDINE FUNGI FOR CONTROL OF CONE AND SEED INSECT PESTS

Preconditioning of isolates of Beauveria bassiana (Bals.) Vuill. and Metarrhizium anisopliae (Metch.) Sor. with specific insects increases their virulence. An isolate of B. bassiana used two years previously in pathogenicity tests against spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana Clem., required only one passage through this insect to attain 100% mortality in 48 h of incubation, whereas an isolate of M. anisopliae that was not previously used against this insect required four passages to attain the same degree of virulence as B. bassiana. Larvae of Laspeyresia youngana (Kft.), Dasineura rachiphaga Tripp, and Dasineura canadensis Felt were very susceptible to both fungi and 100% mortality was obtained in less than 48 h of incubation. Larvae of Lasiomma anthracina Czerny were much less susceptible. Puparia of both genera of Diptera were more resistant than larvae and required longer incubation to obtain 100% mortality.