Exploring Sustainable Approaches: Efficacy of Plant-Based Oils and Beauveria bassiana Fungal Spores in Managing Silverleaf Whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) Infestations

Managing Silverleaf Whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) Infestations

Authors

  • agung sih kurnianto Agrotechnology Study Program, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Jember, Jember 68121, Indonesia
  • Hari Purnomo Agrotechnology Study Program, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Jember, Jember 68121, Indonesia
  • Irwanto Sucipto Agrotechnology Study Program, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Jember, Jember 68121, Indonesia
  • Wildan Muhlison Agrotechnology Study Program, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Jember, Jember 68121, Indonesia
  • Nilasari Dewi Agrotechnology Study Program, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Jember, Jember 68121, Indonesia
  • Indah M. Kamalin Agrotechnology Study Program, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Jember, Jember 68121, Indonesia
  • Muhammad Zulfa Khoiruttamam Agrotechnology Study Program, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Jember, Jember 68121, Indonesia
  • Wilda Qurrotul Aini Agrotechnology Study Program, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Jember, Jember 68121, Indonesia
  • Nur Laila Magvira Nur Laila Magvira
  • Rose Novita Sari Handoko Department of Plant Pathology, National Chung Hsing University. 145 Xingda Rd., College of Agriculture and Natural Resource, Taichung 40227, Taiwan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.11594/

Keywords:

Beauveria bassiana, conidial concentration, plant-based oil, silverleaf whitefly

Abstract

The Silverleaf whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), is a destructive insect pest of important greenhouse and field crops. Several studies have shown the effectiveness of Beauveria bassiana in controlling Silverleaf whitefly.. However, a major challenge lies in the rapid evaporation of water in greenhouse crop models. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of B. bassiana against the whitefly and test its compatibility with various vegetable oils as carrier media. This research at the Agrotechnology Laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Jember, used pure isolates of B. bassiana for mass production until conidia reached 2.5 x 107 per gram. We employed a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with factors of vegetable oil (Corn Oil, Vegetable Oil, Soybean Oil) and concentration (5%, 10%, 15%) using Ultra Low Volume (ULV) formulations. The results revealed that the addition of vegetable oils enhanced the effectiveness of B. bassiana in controlling Silverleaf whitefly, with corn oil having the most significant impact due to its high carbohydrate content that supported B. bassiana viability. Additionally, the concentration of B. bassiana formulation also influenced the rate of whitefly mortality (mycocity), with a 15% concentration yielding the best results. Whitefly nymphs infected with B. bassiana exhibited slowed activity and reduced appetite. Adding vegetable oil facilitated the formation of a protective biofilm around conidia, shielding them from UV radiation, increasing conidia viability, and supporting field application. The infection process by B. bassiana required 6 days to achieve 100% mortality. This research suggests that B. bassiana can be an effective alternative for controlling Silverleaf whiteflies, especially when used with plant-based oils as a carrier medium. This approach may help reduce reliance on chemical pesticides and address issues related to Silverleaf whitefly resistance to insecticides.

References

Horowitz AR, Ghanim M, Roditakis E et al. (2020) Insecticide resistance and its management in Bemisia tabaci species. Journal of Pest Science 93 (3): 893–910. doi: 10.1007/s10340-020-01210-0.

Abubakar M, Koul B, Chandrashekar K et al. (2022) Whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) Management (WFM) Strategies for Sustainable Agriculture: A Review. Agriculture (Switzerland) 12 (9): 1–39. doi: 10.3390/agriculture12091317.

Basit M (2019) Status of insecticide resistance in Bemisia tabaci: resistance, cross-resistance, stability of resistance, genetics and fitness costs. Phytoparasitica 47 (2): 207–225. doi: 10.1007/s12600-019-00722-5.

Skinner M, Parker BL, Kim JS (2014) Role of Entomopathogenic Fungi in Integrated Pest Management. In: Integr. Pest Manag. Curr. Concepts Ecol. Perspect. Elsevier Inc. Chapter 10. pp 169–191. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-398529-3.00011-7.

Cuthbertson AGS (2013) Update on the status of Bemisia tabaci in the UK and the use of entomopathogenic fungi within eradication programmes. Insects 4 (2): 198–205. doi: 10.3390/insects4020198.

Dannon HF, Dannon AE, Douro-Kpindou OK et al. (2020) Toward the efficient use of Beauveria bassiana in integrated cotton insect pest management. Journal of Cotton Research 3 (24): 1–21. doi: 10.1186/s42397-020-00061-5.

Chouikhi S, Assadi BH, Lebdi KG, Belkadhi MS (2022) Efficacy of the entomopathogenic fungus, Beauveria bassiana and Lecanicillium muscarium against two main pests, Bemisia tabaci (Genn.) and Tetranychus urticae (Koch), under geothermal greenhouses of Southern Tunisia. Egyptian Journal of Biological Pest Control 32 (1): 4–11. doi: 10.1186/s41938-022-00627-2.

Mascarin GM, Jaronski ST (2016) The production and uses of Beauveria bassiana as a microbial insecticide. World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology 32 (11): 1–26. doi: 10.1007/s11274-016-2131-3.

Hallsworth JE, Magan N (1994) Effect of carbohydrate type and concentration on polyhydroxy alcohol and trehalose content of conidia of three entomopathogenic fungi. Microbiology 140 (10): 2705–2713. doi: 10.1099/00221287-140-10-2705.

Bitencourt R de OB, Mallet RDS, Mesquita JE et al. (2021) Larvicidal activity, route of interaction and ultrastructural changes in Aedes aegypti exposed to entomopathogenic fungi. Acta tropica 213 (1): 10–32. doi: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2020.105732.

Aquino-Bolaños T, Ortiz-Hernández YD, Bautista-Cruz A, Acevedo-Ortiz MA (2023) Viability of Entomopathogenic Fungi in Oil Suspensions and Their Effectiveness against the Agave Pest Scyphophorus acupunctatus under Laboratory Conditions. Agronomy 13 (6): 1468. doi: 10.3390/agronomy13061468.

Qin Y, Ortiz-Urquiza A, Keyhani NO (2014) A putative methyltransferase, mtrA, Contributes to development, Spore viability, Protein secretion and virulence in the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana. Microbiology (United Kingdom) 160 (1): 2526–2537. doi: 10.1099/mic.0.078469-0.

Wojda I, Kowalski P, Jakubowicz T (2009) Humoral immune response of Galleria mellonella larvae after infection by Beauveria bassiana under optimal and heat-shock conditions. Journal of Insect Physiology 55 (6): 525–531. doi: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2009.01.014.

Shipp JL, Zhang Y, Hunt DWA, Ferguson G (2003) Influence of Humidity and Greenhouse Microclimate on the Efficacy of Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) for Control of Greenhouse Arthropod Pests. Environmental Entomology 32 (5): 1154–1163. doi: 10.1603/0046-225X-32.5.1154.

Altinok HH, Altinok MA, Koca AS (2019) Modes of action of entomopathogenic fungi. Current Trends in Natural Sciences 8 (16): 117–124. doi: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/338390298_Modes_of_Action_of_Entomopathogenic_Fungi#:~:text=Entomopathogenic fungi infests the host,hypodermis to achieve the infestation.

Kaiser D, Bacher S, Mène-Saffrané L, Grabenweger G (2019) Efficiency of natural substances to protect Beauveria bassiana conidia from UV radiation. Pest Management Science 75 (2): 556–563. doi: 10.1002/ps.5209.

Downloads

Published

2025-02-18

Issue

Vol. 15 No. 1 (2025): In Press

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Journal of Tropical Life Science

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

The work has not been published before (except in the form of an abstract or part of a published lecture or thesis) and it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere. When the manuscript is accepted for publication in this journal, the authors agree to automatic transfer of the copyright to the publisher.

Creative Commons License
Journal of Tropical Life Science is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License