EVALUATION OF SOME ALTERNATIVE MATERIALS AGAINST ONION THRIPS: THRIPS TABACI ON KIDNEY BEAN AND ONION AT EL-SHARKYA GOVERNORATE

EVALUATION OF SOME ALTERNATIVE MATERIALS AGAINST ONION THRIPS: THRIPS TABACI ON KIDNEY BEAN AND ONION AT EL-SHARKYA GOVERNORATE

Wafaa G.T. Ghatwary  and A.A. A. Saleh

Plant Protection research Institute, ARC, Egypt.

ABSTRACT

Field experiments were carried out in El-Ghar village, Zagazig district, Sharkia Governorate, 2007 season. 

Results obtained showed that Malathion had the highest reduction percentage 91.19 % for the onion thrips Thrips tabaci compared with Mineral Oil (KZ Oil) and Biovar (Beauveria bassiana) 76.50 and 32.86%, respectively.

Conclusively, it can be using Biovar and KZ oil on IPM programs on controlling the piercing-sucking insect pests (Thrips tabaci) .

Keywords: Alternative materials, onion thrips, thrips tabaci, kidney bean, El-Sharkya Governorate

INTRODUCTION

Onion thrips insectsare the most common and serious insect pest of onions, and are found wherever onions are grown in Egypt. High populations of thrips can reduce both yield and keeping quality of onions. Thrips are most damaging when they feed during the early blubbing stage of plant development. Scarring of leaves is a serious problem on green onions. Entomopathogenic fungi are currently being investigated for the control of many important insect pests on various crops around the world, and some are commercially available. There are many studies on the efficacy of several entomopathogenic fungi on thrips. The use of entomopathogenic fungi for biocontrol of thrips has long been recognized. However, the success in the use entomopathogenic fungi largely depends on the selection of highly virulent isolates while Ekesi, et al. (1998) reported that B. bassiana isolated from M. sjostedti was only moderately pathogenic to its original host. Feng & Johnson (1990) noted that the original host has no significant influence on the virulence. Moreover, they found that entomopathogenic fungi isolated from soil showed a high pathogenicity to insects. There fore it is reasonable to test the efficiency of Biovar and mineral oil (KZ oil) against onion thrips infesting kidney bean and onion comparing with malathion.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Materials

In the present investigation the organophosphorus compound, Malathion (Cythion) (O,O-dimethyl dithiophosphate of diethyl mercaptosuccinate) was used in comparison with the commercial product of entomopathogenic fungi, Biovar (Beauveria bassiana) and Mineral Oil (KZ Oil).

 Methods

For both onion and kidney bean, the experimental area was divided into small plots (each 1/24 feddan) and the total area was ½ feddan for both onion and kidney bean. Completely randomized plot design was used for distribution of different tested materials. Before spray, Leaves samples were collected randomly (10 leaves each) and replicated three times.

Tested materials were sprayed using Knapsack sprayer type with 20 liter chemical tank at the rate of 200L/feddan under pressure 1.5 bar. Malathion was used at the rate of 1.5/feddan, while B. bassiana and KZ Oil were applied at the rates of 200 gm/ 100 L and 1.5/100 L water, respectively. After leaves samples collection, they were put in bag paper and transferred to laboratory for examination under binuclear. Different individuals of thrips were recorded at different time after spray. Then, reduction percentage was calculated according to Henderson and Tilton (1965).

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

1-Efficacy of Biovar and Mineral Oil compared to Malathion against onion thrips,  Thrips tabaci on onion:

Data in Table 1 show that there were significant differences in thrips individuals in different experimental plots before treatments at LSD value of 9.6, while the average individuals ranged between 140 and 160 individual/leaves. After one day of the 1^st application, Malathion application revealed high efficacy against thrips on onion, but both B. bassiana and Mineral Oil represent lower effect. There are significant differences in thrips individuals between the chemical insecticides Malathion and entomopathogenic fungi, B. bassiana at different time intervals post treatment. The average individuals of thrips ranged between 15-75 individual/leaf in Malathion treated area. While it ranged between 9-120, 90-115 and 150-195 individual/leaf for B. bassiana, Mineral Oil and untreated plots, respectively.

After the 1^st day of the second spray, no significant difference in thrips individuals between Malathion and B. bassiana, as will as, between B. bassiana and Mineral Oil treated area. While the difference was clear between both Malathion and B. bassiana treated plots and untreated one, respectively at LSD value of 33.0. Increasing the time intervals after spray, all tested compounds showed higher efficacy against thrips in treated area compared to untreated one. These results were clear after the 5^th day of treatment while thrips individuals were around the economic threshold in all treated plots. Generally, B. bassiana was the effective compounds against thrips on onion cultivations followed by Malathion and mineral Oil, respectively. In laboratory studies, T. tabaci was susceptible to Verticillium lecanii (Zimmermann) Viegas, Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin, Metarhizium anisopliae (Metsch.) Sorokin and Paecilomyces fumosoroseus (Wize) Brown & Smith (Gillespie, 1986 and Fransen, 1990).

Regarding reduction percentage of thrips individuals, it is appeared from data in Table 2 that the chemical insecticide, Malathion gave the highest reduction percentage of thrips followed by B. bassiana and Mineral Oil, respectively at the first day of application, reduction percentage was 71% for Malathion, but it was 25% and 21.43% for B. bassiana and Mineral Oil, respectively. Increasing the time intervals after spray resulted in increase of reduction percentage of thrips individuals. Hall et al. (1994) and suggested that Hirsutella sp., P. fumosoroseus and B. bassiana may be useful in the management of the melon thrips, Thrips palmi Karny. Ekesi, et al. (1998) stated that B. bassiana and M. anisopliae are highly pathogenic to the legume flower thrips, Megalurothrips sjostedti (Tryborn). In the glasshouse, V. lecanii has been used successfully to control T. tabaci on cucumber (Gillespie, 1986). Ekesi, et al. (1998) found that one isolate of B. bassiana and two isolates of M. anisopliae from soil were highly virulent to the legume flower thrips.

1I-Efficacy of Biovar and Mineral oil against onion thrips, Thrips tabacci on kidney bean:

Data in Table 3 indicate that there were significant in thrips individuals between different experimental plots before treatment at LSD value of 2.9 the average number of thrips individuals in different plots ranged between 110 and 115 indiviual/ leaf. After the first day of application, Malathion reduced the incidence of thrips on kidney bean followed by B. bassiana and Mineral Oil, respectively. No significant difference in thrips individuals was found between Malathion and B. bassiana after 3, 4, 5, 8, 11 and 14 days after the first spray.

Regarding reduction percentage, after the 1^st day of the first application, data in Table 4 indicate that Malathion gave the highest reduction in infestation followed by B. bassiana and Mineral Oil, respectively. Reduction percentage of thrips individuals in Malathion treated plots increased with increasing time intervals after the first and second spray up to the 5^th day pot-spray. Then it was reduced after 8, 11 and 14 days after spray. In contrast, in spite of reduction percentage of thrips individuals in B. bassiana treated plots was lower than that was obtained in Malathion treated areas during the period from the first to the 5^th day, but it was higher than Malathion after 8, 11 and 14 days of the both 1^st and 2^nd spray. Residual effect of Mineral Oil resulted in low reduction of infestation at different time after the 1^st spray compared to both Malathion and B. bassiana, respectively.Repeating application with Mineral Oil reduced thrips infestation up to 86.67% after the 5^th day of the 2^nd application. In addition, Entomophthora thripidum was found infecting T. tabaci in Netherlands, but in field trials the fungus failed to suppress thrips populations below the economic acceptable level (Samson, et al. 1979). Vestergaard, et al. (1995) showed that B. bassiana, M. anisopliae and V. lecanii were more active against the western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) than P. fumosoroseus or Paecilomyces farinosus (Holmex & Gray).

Conclusively, it can be using Biovar and KZ oil on IPM programs on controlling the piercing-sucking insect pests (Thrips tabaci)

REFFERENCES

Ekesi, S., Maniania, N.K., Onu, I. and Löhr, B. (1998): Pathogenicity of entomopathogenic fungi (Hyphomycetes) to the legume flower thrips, Megalurothrips sjostedti (Trybom) (Thys., Thripidae). Journal of Appl. Entomol., 122: 629-634.

Feng, M.G. and Johnson, J. B. (1990): Relative virulence of six isolates of Beauveria bassiana on Diuraphis noxia (Homop: Aphididae).  Environ. Entomol. , 19: 785-790.

Fransen, J. J. (1990): Fungi on aphids, thrips and whitefly in the greenhouse environment. In: Proceeding, 5th International Colloquium on Invertebrate Pathology and Microbial Control. Society for Invertebrate Pathology, Adelaide, Australia,  376-380.

Gillespie, A.T. (1986): The potential of entomogenous fungi as control agents for onion thrips, Thrips tabaci. In: Proceeding of Brighton Crop Protection Conference: Biotechnology and Crop Improvement and Protection, Brighton, UK: 237-242.

Hall, R.A., Peterkin, D. and Ali, B. (1994): Fungal control of whitefly, Thrips palmi and sugarcane froghopper in Trinidad and Tobago. In: Proceeding, 6th International Colloquium on Invertebrate Pathology and Microbial Control. Society for Invertebrate Pathology, Montpellier, France: 277-282.

Henderson, D.F. and E.W. Tilton (1955): Tests with acaricides against the brown mite. J. Econ. Entomol., 49: 161-175.

Samson, R.A., Ramakers, P. M. J. and Oswal, T. (1979): Entomophthora thripidum, a new fungal pathogen of Thrips tabaci.  Can. J. Bot. , 57: 1317-1323.

Sendecor, G.W. (1957): Statistical Methods Applied to Experiments in Agriculture and Biology.  Lowa State College, Press Amer,  Iowa, 5^th ed.)

Vestergaard, S., Gilliespie, A.T., Butt, T.M., Schreiter, G. and EILENBERG, J. (1995): Pathogenicity of the hyphomycetes fungi Verticillium lecanii and Metarhizium anisopliae to the western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis. Biocontrol Sci. Tech., 5: 185-192.

تقییم بعض المواد البدیله ضد حشرة التربس علی محصول الفاصولیا والبصل بمحافظة الشرقیة

وفاء غتوری طنطاوی و أحمد امین أحمد صالح

معهد بحوث وقایة النباتات مرکز البحوث الزراعیة الدقی-  الجیزة – مصر.

الدراسة نفذت لتقییم البیوفار و الزیت المعدنی ضد حشرة التربس علی محصول البصل بمحافظة الشرقیة عام 2007 . حیث استخدم الملاثیون کمرکب فوسفوری للمقاربة . وأوضحت النتائج إن کل هذه المرکبات أعطت خفضا فی التعداد مقارنة بالکنترول فی کل من البصل و الفاصولیا.

الملاثیون أعطی اعلی خفض فی التعداد وجاء بعده البیوفار ثم الزیت المعدنی K2 . لیس هناک فرق معنوی فی  تعداد إفراد التربس ما بین الملاثیون و البیوفار وذلک بعد یوم من الرش بینما وجد فرق معنوی بین المعاملات و الکنترول.