Field evaluation of entomopathogenic fungi against cabbage aphid, Brevicoryne brassicae (L.) and their effect on coccinellid predator, Coccinella septempunctata (Linnaeus)

Abstract

The present study was carried out to assess the field efficacy of three isolates of entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) for management of cabbage aphid, Brevicoryne brassicae . All the tested isolates showed suppressive effect on aphid. Two-year pooled data revealed lower incidence of 13.9–17.1 aphids/plant in the EPF treated plots compared to higher incidence of 107.5 aphids/plant in untreated control. Significantly higher yields were recorded in the plots treated with Bb-5a, Ma-4 and Vl-8 isolates (28.0, 27.4 and 27.4 t/ha, respectively) compared to untreated control (22.3 t/ha). The populations of predatory coccinellid and spiders in EPF treated and untreated control plots were found statistically non-significant indicating the safety of entomopathogenic fungi to these predators.