Efficacy of indigenous entomopathogenic fungi against the black aphid, Aphis fabae Scopoli under controlled conditions in Tanzania

Worldwide application of synthetic insecticides as a main way of controlling aphids on various crops has resulted in diverse problems such as failures in pest control, negative public health and environmental impacts, and a build-up of resistance against insecticides by insect pests. Entomopathogeni...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	International journal of tropical insect science Vol. 41; no. 2; pp. 1643 - 1651
Main Authors:	Boni, Simon Boniface, Mwashimaha, Robert Abraham, Mlowe, Nickson, Sotelo-Cardona, Paola, Nordey, Thibault
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Cham Springer International Publishing 01-06-2021 Springer Nature B.V
Subjects:	Aflatoxins Animal health Aphidoidea Aphis fabae Aspergillus flavus Biomedical and Life Sciences Controlled conditions Cowpeas Entomology Entomopathogenic fungi Environmental impact Fungi Insecticide resistance Insecticides Insects Laboratories Life Sciences Original Research Article Pest control Pest resistance Pests Public health Spores Stability Aspergillus Cowpea pests World Vegetable Center Mycopesticide Biocontrol
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Summary:	Worldwide application of synthetic insecticides as a main way of controlling aphids on various crops has resulted in diverse problems such as failures in pest control, negative public health and environmental impacts, and a build-up of resistance against insecticides by insect pests. Entomopathogenic fungi can be used as an alternative to insecticides since they offer the benefit of being environmentally friendly, without the risk of insect pests developing resistance. This study assessed 19 different indigenous fungi in the laboratory for their ability to control Aphis fabae Scopoli at various conidial concentrations (10 4 , 10 5 , 10 6 and 10 7 spores/ml) using the detached leaf method. A. fabae adults were reared on potted cowpea in cages. Both the 19 fungus types and their respective conidial concentrations used to treat A. fabae differed significantly ( P < 0.001) in their ability to kill the pest. The A. fabae mortality rate increased in line with the increase in the conidial concentration of the fungus type, and Aspergillus flavus Link S18 and S19 performed better than the other fungus types evaluated. Aspergillus flavus S18 and S19 are recommended for further tests in the greenhouse to validate the laboratory results. The fact that the Aspergillus strains isolated and tested were all aflatoxin-producing strains calls for caution regarding their potential impacts on human and animal health. Further studies are recommended to conduct similar experiments using non-aflatoxin-producing strains of A. flavus , in order to determine whether they have similar effects on A. fabae .
ISSN:	1742-7592 1742-7584 1742-7592
DOI:	10.1007/s42690-020-00365-8