Negative effects of insecticides on non-target organism can be reduced by using selective and less toxic insecticides. We assessed the effect of subsequent application of flonicamid and Beauveria bassiana GHA on pests and natural enemies in soybean fields by recording their density in 6-8 d interval. Flonicamid controlled Aphis glycines Matsumura in 6 day after spray (DAS). Nymphs of Riptortus pedestris (F.) were also reduced by 46 and 48% in 12 and 19 DAS, respectively. Application of B. bassiana reduced R. pedestris nymph 50% in 16 DAS whereas adult R. pedestris, Medythia nigrobilineata Motschulsky and A. glycines were not significantly reduced in treated fields. Ladybird beetles, syrphid flies, hymenopteran wasps, and parasitism rate of R. pedestris eggs were not different between the treatment and control. These results suggest that flonicamid and B. bassiana showed less negative effect on the natural enemies and effective against aphids and nymphs stage of R. pedestris.

A mycoinsecticide, Beauveria bassiana (strain GHA) marketed as BotaniGard® ES, was evaluated as a biological control agent against Riptortus pedestris (Fabricius) (Hemiptera: Alydidae) a major soybean pest. It was tested on commercial soybean fields with one time spray of both high (1×109) and medium (1×108spore/ml) concentration and double spray of the medium concentration. Nymph population decreased in all treated fields regardless of dose and frequency of spray. But, adult and egg populations were not affected. Alive nymphs collected from the fields and kept in laboratory showed infection rate ranging 35-68% in treated plots while 0% in control plots. It also reduced damage on soybean pods and seeds by 17.7-21.2 and 18.0-22.5% compare to control, respectively. Additionally, B. bassiana reduced other pests found in soybean fields including brown marmorated stink bug Halyomorpha halys (Stål) and two striped leaf beetle Medythia nigrobilineata Motschulsky. Also there was no negative effect on the parasitism of released non-viable eggs of R. pedestris. These results suggest that, in field condition, one time spraying of B. bassiana in the concentration of 1×108spore/ml can help reducing crop damage as well as R. pedestris nymph population.

Two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae (Koch) is one of the serious pests in economically important crops such as strawberry and cucumber and so on. Acaricides have been used as the main control agents. This study was conducted to test the synergistic effects of the Beauveria bassiana GHA, which has been registered for whitefly and thrips, and five pesticides (abamectin, acrinathrin, bifenthrin imidacloprid, dinotefuran, and indoxacarb, which are commonly used pesticides in strawberry in Korea), on the two-spotted spider mite T. urticae. Five tested pesticides did not inhibit spore germination and mycelial growth of B. bassiana. Pesticides were applied to potted strawberry plants at four different treatments (recommended concentration, 1/5 recommended concentration, 1/5 recommended concentration + GHA(108 conidia/ml), and only GHA(108 conidia/ml). Mortality in larvae of two-spotted spider mite was 12% in GHA 5 day after treatment. Mortality in abamectin treated T. urticae was 98.5% and 100% at 1/5 recommended concentration and recommended concentration, respectively, 3 days after treatment. Acrinathrin, indoxacarbe, dinotefuran and difenthrin imidacloprid caused 60%, 14%, 16% and 91% mortality at recommended concentration 5 day after treatment. The tested five pesticides and B. bassiana GHA had no synergistic effect.