Antonio Batista Filho

Effect of Thiamethoxam on Entomopathogenic Microorganisms

The compatibility of entomopathogenic microorganisms with thiamethoxam and other insecticides was studied in vitro and under field conditions. The microorganisms tested were: Aschersonia aleyrodis, Bacillus thuringiensis, Baculovirus anticarsia (NPVAg), Beauveria bassiana, Hirsutella thompsonii, Metarhizium anisopliae, Nomuraea rileyi, Paecilomyces farinosus, Sporothrix insectorum and Verticillium lecanii. Two concentrations of each product were tested in the laboratory, based on the maximum and minimum recommended rates for application in the field. The products were added to specific culture medium for growth of the entomopathogens. Reproductive and vegetative growth were evaluated for fungi, and colony forming units (CFU) were evaluated for bacteria. For the field test, CFUs were considered for both fungi and bacteria and caterpillar mortality for the NPV of Anticarsia gemmatalis (Hueb.). Results showed that: (1) the action of the pesticides on the vegetative growth and sporulation of the microorganisms varied as a function of the chemical nature of the products, its concentration and the microbial species; (2) thiamethoxam was compatible with all microorganisms studied; (3) endosulfan, monocrotophos and deltamethrin were the insecticides that most affected B. thuringiensis, B. bassiana, M. anisopliae and S. insectorum; (4) thiamethoxam did not affect the inoculum potential of B. thuringiensis, B. bassiana or M. anisopliae when applied to bean crop (Phaseolus vulgaris); and (5) thiamethoxam did not affect the efficiency of the nuclear polyhedral virus of A. gemmatalis.

Screening of entomopathogenic nematodes (Nemata: Rhabditida) and the efficiency of Heterorhabditis sp. against the sugarcane root spittlebug Mahanarva fimbriolata (Fabr.) (Hemiptera: Cercopidae)

Este estudo teve por objetivo avaliar a patogenicidade de seis nematoides contra ninfas da cigarrinha da raiz da cana-de-acucar Mahanarva fimbriolata (Fabr.), em condicoes de laboratorio, e a eficiencia do mais virulento no controle do inseto em condicoes de campo. No laboratorio, foram avaliados sete tratamentos representados por dois especimes do genero Heterorhabditis, tres de Steinernema, um especime de Steinernema glaseri (Steiner),e a testemunha. No campo foram realizados dois experimentos. No primeiro foram avaliados nove tratamentos: Heterorhabditis sp. (CB-n5) aplicado sobre a palhada nas doses de 3,3 x 109, 6,6 x 108, 3,3 x 108 e 6,6 x 107 juvenis infectivos (JI)/ha; os nematoides aplicados no solo (embaixo da palhada) nas mesmas quatro doses; e a testemunha. No segundo experimento foram testados quatro tratamentos: Heterorhabditis sp. (3,3 x 108 JI/ha); Metarhizium anisopliae (2,6 x 1012 conidios viaveis/ha); tiametoxam (Actara 200 WG) (1 kg/ha); e a testemunha. Em laboratorio, Heterorhabditis sp. (CB-n5), Steinernema sp. (CB-n6) e Heterorhabditis sp. (CCA) foram os mais patogenicos, causando mortalidades de 100%, 98% e 96%, respectivamente. No primeiro experimento de campo, o nematoide Heterorhabditis sp. proporcionou ate 70% de controle da cigarrinha, nao havendo diferenca significativa entre as doses e quanto a aplicacao sobre a palhada ou sobre o solo. No segundo experimento, o inseticida proporcionou 67% de controle, nao diferenciando significativamente do nematoide (56%) e do fungo (44%), em avaliacao realizada sete dias apos aplicacao.

Effect of salts, vitamins, sugars and nitrogen sources on the growth of three genera of Entomophthorales : Batkoa , Furia , and Neozygites

Entomophthorales pathogenic to insects and mites often cause epizootics in their host populations, but some have been difficult to culture in vitro and, therefore, to develop as biopesticides. Graces insect cell culture medium supplemented with lactalbumin hydrolysate and yeastolate has allowed growth of several species which until recently were referred to as obligate parasites. The research reported here was designed to evaluate the effects of the salts, vitamins and amino acids used to prepare the insect cell culture medium on in vitro growth of Batkoa sp. and Furia sp., pathogens of the spittlebug pests of pasture and sugar-cane in Brazil, and Neozygites floridana, a pathogen of several mite species. Also, several sources of carbon and nitrogen were examined. Batkoa sp., Furia sp. and N. floridana were similar concerning their growth patterns in a basic medium with added salts, vitamins and amino acids, as well as with a combination of all three compoments. The addition of salts to the basic medium of sugars plus lactalbumen hydrolysate and yeastolate caused a significant increase in biomass production of the three fungal species. The addition of vitamins and amino acids had less effect. Batkoa sp., Furia sp. and N. floridana are similar in growth patterns in media with various sources of carbon, but different in media with different sources of nitrogen. The production of the three fungal species is significantly higher in medium containing 2.66% glucose than in medium with 2.66% sucrose. The addition of 0.1% monossacarides to media containing 2.66% sucrose did not significantly increase biomass production.

Seleção de isolados de Metarhizium anisopliae (Metsch.) sorok. contra a cigarrinha da raiz da cana-de-açúcar Mahanarva fimbriolata (Stål) (Hemiptera: Cercopidae) em laboratório

O corte mecanizado da cana-de-acucar resulta num acumulo da palhada depositada no solo, proporcionando temperatura e umidade favoraveis a cigarrinha-da-raiz, Mahanarva fimbriolata (Stal), que provoca serios problemas devido a sua ocorrencia generalizada e altas populacoes. A patogenicidade de 79 isolados do fungo Metarhizium anisopliae (Metsch.) Sorok, provenientes de diferentes hospedeiros e regioes do Pais, foi testada em laboratorio. Dez ninfas da cigarrinha foram colocadas em placas de Petri (9 cm de diâmetro) contendo folhas de cana lavadas e pulverizadas com 1 ml de uma suspensao contendo 5 x 107 conidios/ml. Cada tratamento foi composto por cinco repeticoes. Apos a pulverizacao, as placas foram colocadas em câmara climatizada a 25 ± 1oC, 70 ± 10% de UR e fotofase de 12h. A mortalidade foi avaliada diariamente, calculando-se os indices de mortalidade acumulada total, confirmada e corrigida de cada tratamento. Os melhores isolados testados foram: IBCB 348, IBCB 351, IBCB 363, IBCB 408, IBCB 410, IBCB 418, IBCB 425 e IBCB 482, os quais apresentaram mortalidade confirmada igual ou superior a 70% seis dias apos a pulverizacao.

Persistência do herbicida sulfentrazone em solo cultivado com cana-de-açúcar

ABSTRACT PERSISTENCE OF THE HERBICIDA SULFENTRAZONE IN SOILCULTIVATED WITH SUGARCANE The objective here was to determine the behavior of sulfentrazone in sandy clay soil cultivatedwith sugar cane. The experimental design was randomized blocks with five replications and threetreatments of sulfentrazone (0.0, 0.6 and 1.2 kg ha -1 ), applied as pre-emergent. Samples of soil (0-10 cm),were regularly collected at 23 times between 0 and 704 days after treatment (DAT). The behavior ofsulfentrazone was evaluated by bioassays using sugar beet as test plant, and analysis indicated that forthe lower dose (0.6 kg ha -1 ), the herbicide persisted until 601 DAT. At the end of the test, 704 DAT, theherbicide still persisted for the dose of 1.2 kg ha -1 . The persistence of sulfentrazone in soil is long andproportional to applied dose. Key words: residue, bioassay, persistence, Saccharum sp . ( 1 ) Parte da Tese de doutorado do primeiro autor. Recebido para publicacao em13 de janeiro de 2007 e aceito em 15de novembro de 2009.(

Simple, inexpensive media for mass production of three entomophthoralean fungi

The entomophthoralean fungi Batkoa sp., Furia sp. and Neozygites floridana have been suggested for biocontrol of insect pests: the first two for control of spittlebug pests of pasture and sugarcane, and the third for mites of agricultural importance. To develop these agents as biopesticides and bioacaricides, it is important to have available culture media that maximize production at low cost. The research reported here evaluates, in different combinations and concentrations, the effect of four complex sources of nitrogen on production of mycelium or hyphal bodies in liquid media of all three species. Yeast extract allowed the highest production of Batkoa sp., with a concentration of 0.5% being the most suitable for vegetative (mycelial) growth. The combination of 0.33% each of yeast extract + beef extract + skim milk allowed the highest production of Furia sp. Mycelium. The combination of yeast extract + skim milk (0.5% of each) allowed the second highest production of Furia sp., and was the most suitable for mass production due to the lower cost. The combination of 1 %each of yeast extract + peptone + skim milk was the most suitable for production of N. floridana hyphal bodies.

Patogenicidade de Beauveria bassiana ao psilídeo Diaphorina citri e compatibilidade do fungo com produtos fitossanitários

The objective of this work was to evaluate the pathogenicity of Beauveria bassiana to Diaphorina citri (Hemiptera: Psyllidae) nymphs, and to check the compatibility of the fungus with phytosanitary products, and its persistence in citrus plants. Nymphs of D. citri were sprayed with B. bassiana in the concentrations 5x106, 1x107, 5x107, 1x108, 5x108 and 1x109 conidia mL-1 for lethal concentration determination. In order to evaluate the compatibility of the phytosanitary products with the fungus, neem extract and five insecticides of four different chemical groups were individually added to PDA culture medium, in which the fungus was cultivated. Vegetative growth, sporulation and viability of the entomopathogen were evaluated. In the greenhouse, citrus plants were first treated with the phytosanitary products and, then, with the pathogen. Exposure times of 24 hours, 7 and 14 days were evaluated. Fungus pathogenicity to D. citri nymphs was confirmed; LC50 of 0.4 x107 and LC90 of 6.7 x107 conidia mL-1 were determined at the tenth day of evaluation. In the laboratory, the phytosanitary products reduced fungus growth. In greenhouse, the products did not affect fungus survival on citrus plants.

Virulência de nematóides entomopatogênicos (Nematoda: Rhabditida) a Sphenophorus levis (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

The sugarcane billbug, Sphenophorus levis (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is an important underground pest of the sugarcane crop in Sao Paulo state, causing losses up to 30 tons of cane/ha/year. This study aimed to evaluate the virulence of 17 strains of entomopathogenic nematodes on the genus Steinernema and Heterorhabditis against adults of S. levis, and the effect of the four most virulent ones in three dosage each one. The research was done in laboratory conditions, performing four tests related to the virulence study and one related to the dosage study. S. brazilense IBCB n6, Heterorhabditis sp. IBCB n10, Heter- orhabditis sp. IBCB n24 and Heterorhabditis sp. IBCB n44 were the most virulent ones, differing significantly from the respec - tive control with 45%, 40%, 20% and 31% mortality of insects using the concentration of 240 infective juveniles (IJ)/insect. For the dosage test, the strains IBCB n10, IBCB n24 and IBCB n44 of Heterorhabditis noteworthy concerning the virulence for adults of the sugarcane billbug, differing significantly from the control at the higher dosage (1200 IJ/insect) with insect mortality levels of 60%, 65,7% e 74,3%, respectively.

Persistence of Herbicide Sulfentrazone in Soil Cultivated with Sugarcane and Soy and Effect on Crop Rotation

In the deployment of an agricultural area through a cultivation system, there are serious and significant changes in geomorphic subsystems, edaphic and biological, making them simpler (agroecosystem), compared with the ecosystem, this, a more complex system. This change results in drastic reduction of the self-regulatory system, making it more unstable and susceptible to energy inputs. One major consequence of this transformation is the excessive increase of some species of insects, microorganisms and nematodes populations, and wild plants in such a way as to significantly impair the production, making uneconomical the productive units, so, they are named as agricultural pests.

Produção líquida de fungos entomopatogênicos e efeitos da radiação ultravioleta e da temperatura sobre os propágulos produzidos

The purpose of this paper was to evaluate the liquid culture media for the production of Metarhizium anisopliae (IBCB 425) and Beauveria bassiana (IBCB 66), as well as the tolerance of these seedlings to the ultraviolet action and to the temperature. Twelve treatments composed of combinations between carbon and nitrogen concentrations were assessed. In order to determine the effect of ultraviolet radiation, plates with blastos-pores were exposed to it for 25 and 50 seconds. To determine the temperature efect, blastospores from culture media were exposed to 20, 25, 30 and 35°. For the virulence experiments, caterpillars of Diatraea saccharalis were sprayed with 2 mL of fungal suspension with the aid of a Potter tower. Te best media for M. anisopliae are 16.00 g (carbon) + 7.00 g (nitrogen) and 14.40 g (carbon) + 7.00 g (nitrogen), whereas for B. bassiana: 20.00 g (carbon) + 6.30 g (nitrogen) and 20.00 g (carbon) + 7.00 g (nitrogen). Te longer the exposure to ultraviolet radiation, the smaller the number of colonies. At 35°, there is a significant decrease in the formation of colonies. Te produced seedlings of fungi are pathogenic to D. saccharalis.