Abstract
Locusts are important pests in warm, semi-arid regions of the world. Traditionally, chemical insecticides have been used to control bands and swarms, but this is coming under great scrutiny. Metarhizium anisopliae is an entomopathogenic fungus, which is formulated in an oil to produce a biopesticide that has been tested in several countries. In Australia, field trials have indicated that efficacy is dependent on rate of application and vegetation cover, while rate of development of both the locust and Metarhizium is influenced by temperature. A model has been developed to assess the importance of these factors in the rate and effectiveness of control of migratory locusts ( Locusta migratoria) with Metarhizium using the Australian isolate FI-985. Model simulations suggest that three application rates may be required in field control operations: a low dose of 1×10 12 spores/ha when herbaceous cover was low; a high dose (5×10 12 spores/ha) where high cover will reduce the likelihood of locusts receiving spores directly from the spraying operation or from pickup from the vegetation; and a moderate dose where cover is moderate but where locusts are likely to pick up an infection from spores on the vegetation. Field efficacy trials are currently underway against the Australian plague locust ( Chortoicetes terminifera), spur-throated locust ( Austracris guttulosa) and wingless grasshopper ( Phaulacridium vittatum) and this model may be extended to these species in the future.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.