Toxicity of entomopathogenic fungi, Beauveria bassiana, and clove oil-based pesticide to the main pests of black pepper

Abstract

In order to get the healthy black pepper plant, the presence of various types of pest organisms should be controlled below the economic threshold. One of the efforts to obtain an environmentally friendly control strategy is by using natural pesticides i.e.entomophatogenic fungi, Beauveria bassiana and clove oil-based botanical pesticides. The insects tested in this study were pepper stem borer, Lophobaris piperis, and pepper fruit sucker, Dasynus piperis. The results of the laboratory bioassays showed that 20 gr / l of B. bassiana could kill some of the tested insects, but its toxicity in the field tended to be low. Mortality of L. piperis and D. piperis at the end of laboratory assay was 20% and 33.3%, respectively. Therefore, to get maximum impacts, field application must be repeated several times at intervals of 1 to 2 months. The botanical pesticide formula at the highest concentration (20 cc/l) was able to kill 43.3% of L. piperis. Meanwhile, it was very effective against D. piperis at a concentration of 2.5 cc/l, which was able to kill all the tested insects. The botanical pesticides and B bassiana have potential to control D piperis and L piperis..