Control of glasshouse whitefly, Trialeurodes vaporariorum, by an ‘aphid’ strain of the fungus Verticillium lecanii

Abstract

SUMMARYHeavy infestations of whitefly on glasshouse cucumber plants were controlled below the level of economic crop damage by fortnightly or monthly sprays of Verticillium lecanii spores. The fungus did not spread from glasshouse to glasshouse, or from plant to plant, and often not from diseased whitefly scales bearing fungal spore heads to nearby healthy scales. Some scales survived and the resulting adults laid eggs on new leaves bearing no infected scales, creating another, healthy, generation. This makes regular spraying of new leaves essential. Blastospores were as effective as conidia in controlling scales when sprayed to ‘run off’ at concentrations near 107 spores ml‐1 sprayed on to the undersurfaces of leaves. A fivefold increase in spore concentration at levels near 107 spores ml‐1 usually caused significant improvement in mortality, but increase above this concentration is likely to be unrewarding. Thorough coverage of leaves was found to be vital. Control was impaired by dry conditions and by prolonged air temperatures above 25 °C. The fungicide dimethirimol, used against cucumber mildew, did not impair whitefly control by V. lecanii.