Effect of the native strain of the predator Nesidiocoris tenuis Reuter and the entomopathogenic fungi Beauveria bassiana and Lecanicillium muscarium against Bemisia tabaci (Genn.) under greenhouse conditions in Tunisia release_sgja6siezfholi5mzyqk4tj3vi

Abstract

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:sec> <jats:title>Background</jats:title> The misuse of chemical insecticides has developed the phenomenon of habituation in the whitefly <jats:italic>Bemisia tabaci</jats:italic> (Gennadius) causing enormous economic losses under geothermal greenhouses in southern Tunisia. </jats:sec><jats:sec> <jats:title>Results</jats:title> In order to develop means of biological control appropriate to the conditions of southern Tunisia, the efficacy of the native strain of the predator <jats:italic>Nesidiocoris tenuis</jats:italic> Reuter (Hemiptera: Miridae) and two entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) <jats:italic>Beauveria bassiana</jats:italic> and <jats:italic>Lecanicillium muscarium</jats:italic> was tested against <jats:italic>Bemisia tabaci</jats:italic> (Gennadius). Indeed, the introduction of <jats:italic>N. tenuis</jats:italic> in doses of 1, 2, 3, or 4 nymphs per tobacco plant infested by the whitefly led to highly significant reduction in the population of <jats:italic>B. tabaci</jats:italic>, than the control devoid of predator. The efficacy of <jats:italic>N. tenuis</jats:italic> was very high against nymphs and adults of <jats:italic>B. tabaci</jats:italic> at all doses per plant with a rate of 98%. Likewise, <jats:italic>B. bassiana</jats:italic> and <jats:italic>L. muscarium</jats:italic>, compared to an untreated control, showed a very significant efficacy against larvae and adults of <jats:italic>B. tabaci</jats:italic>. In addition, the number of live nymphs of <jats:italic>N. tenuis</jats:italic> treated directly or introduced on nymphs of <jats:italic>B. tabaci</jats:italic> treated with the EPF remained relatively high, exceeding 24.8 nymphs per cage compared to the control (28.6). </jats:sec><jats:sec> <jats:title>Conclusions</jats:title> It can be concluded that the native strain of <jats:italic>N. tenuis</jats:italic> and the EPF tested separately were effective against <jats:italic>B. tabaci</jats:italic>. Their combined use appears to be possible. </jats:sec>
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