AUTHOR=El Aalaoui Mohamed , Rammali Said , Kamal Fatima Zahra , Lefter Radu , Calin Gabriela , Burlui Vasile , Ciobică Alin , Petroaie Antoneta Dacia , Novac Otilia , Novac Bogdan , Sbaghi Mohamed 

TITLE=Biocontrol of Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley using entomopathogenic fungi and bacteria

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems

VOLUME=8

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sustainable-food-systems/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2024.1444917

DOI=10.3389/fsufs.2024.1444917

ISSN=2571-581X

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Introduction</title><p><italic>Phenacoccus solenopsis</italic> Tinsley, poses a significant threat to a range of crops worldwide. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of entomopathogenic fungi (<italic>Alternaria murispora</italic> and <italic>Alternaria destruen</italic>s) and bacteria (<italic>Streptomyces bellus</italic>-E23-2) against adult females of <italic>P. solenopsis</italic> under laboratory (26 ± 2°C) and greenhouse conditions.</p></sec><sec><title>Methods</title><p>Laboratory trials tested <italic>A. murispora</italic>, <italic>A. destruens</italic> (10<sup>4</sup>–10<sup>10</sup> conidia mL<sup>−1</sup>), and <italic>S. bellus</italic> E23-2 (10<sup>4</sup>–10<sup>10</sup> cfu mL<sup>−1</sup>), alone and in combination, recording mortality rates and LC<sub>50</sub> values. Greenhouse trials tested the best lab treatments on infested potato plants, monitoring pest density and plant quality.</p></sec><sec><title>Results and discussion</title><p>In laboratory trials, <italic>A. murispora</italic> at 10<sup>10</sup> conidia mL<sup>−1</sup> was the most effective, achieved 79.7% mortality (LC<sub>50</sub> = 1.338 × 10<sup>8</sup> conidia mL<sup>−1</sup> after 14 days). Combination treatments significantly enhanced efficacy, with <italic>A. murispora</italic> + <italic>S. bellus</italic> E23-2 (10<sup>10</sup> conidia mL<sup>−1</sup> + 10<sup>10</sup> cfu mL<sup>−1</sup>) reaching 85.3% mortality. In greenhouse trials, the combination treatments notably reduced <italic>P. solenopsis</italic> densities and increased the number of infected mealybugs, with <italic>A. murispora</italic> + <italic>S. bellus</italic> E23-2 being the most effective. These treatments did not harm plant quality, unlike imidacloprid, which reduced visual quality despite its high efficacy. <italic>Alternaria murispora</italic> and <italic>S. bellus</italic> E23-2 effectively control <italic>P. solenopsis</italic>, providing a sustainable, plant-safe alternative to chemical insecticides.</p></sec>