Integration of entomopathogenic fungi and eco-friendly insecticides for management of red palm weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier)

• Main Authors: Mirza Abdul Qayyum, Muhammad Asad Saleem, Shafqat Saeed, Waqas Wakil, Muhammad Ishtiaq, Waqas Ashraf, Nadeem Ahmed, Muqarrab Ali, Rao Muhammad Ikram, Muhammad Yasin, Sumaira Maqsood, Sobia Kiran, Muhammad Faheem Qaiser, Rao Ahsan Ayaz, Muhammad Zeshan Nawaz, Allah Ditta Abid, Khalid Ali Khan, Saad A. Alamri
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2020-07-01
• Series: Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences
• Subjects: Rhynchophorus ferrugineus; Date palm; Entomopathogenic fungi; Bio-rational insecticides
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1319562X19303183

Red palm weevil (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus) is a voracious pest of date palm worldwide. Pakistan ranks sixth in date palm production globally. Losses to date palm plantations in Pakistan sometimes surpass 10%-20%. Most of the traditional management strategies used by farmers have been found insignificant to combat this voracious pest. The entomopathogenic fungi, Beauveria bassiana [QA-3(L) and QA-3(H)] and insecticides, Nitenpyram (Active 10% SL) [NIT (L) and NIT (H)] were applied to larval (2nd, 4th, and 6th), pupal and adult stages of R. ferrugienus. Integration or alone application of fungi with insecticides at different concentration under laboratory conditions. Combined application was depicted additive and synergistic interactions. Contrarily, highest cumulative mortality (100%) was recorded in 2nd instar larvae as compared to later instar larvae at combined application. The maximum pupal and adult mortality remained 89% and 66% respectively after treatment with [QA-3 (H) + NIT (L)]. The combination of B. bassiana at higher concentration whereas Nitenpyram at lower dose was found more lethal to larvae, pupae and adults of R. ferrugineus. This signifies the need of combining B. bassiana and bio-rational insecticides that can reduce the cost of management with least harm to environment and natural enemies.