Biopesticide Alternatives
for Controlling
Insects and Diseases
John Francis
Technical Services
OUTLINE
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Biopesticides - general
Insect control strategies with biopesticides
Root disease control using biopesticides
Tank mixing biopesticides
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Advantages:
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Reduce use of chemicals
Extend useful life of chemicals
Resistance management
Safer to use (plants and human)
Lower REI
4/13/2015
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Advantages: (contd.)
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4/13/2015
Lower REI
Less phytotoxicity (Crop Safety)
O Day PHI; no MRL (exempt)
Some with OMRI Listing
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General Limitations:
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NOT a magic bullet
Require more handling
Shelf life – generally shorter vs. chem.
Work slowly
Must be used early
Higher rates do not = more kill
4/13/2015
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The Chemical Paradigm
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Need to change your mindset
Biopesticides are NOT chemicals
Do not expect to use them the same way
Do not expect the same behavior
4/13/2015
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Biopesticide successful use:
• Coverage, is essential
• READ the LABEL!!
• Change your mindset – these are NOT
chemicals
• Be sure the product is not expired – call the
manufacturer for advice
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TRIVIA!!
What is the name of the
volcano on the 2012 Hawai’i
quarter?
Kilauea
Mycoinsecticides (fungal spores)
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BotaniGard – BioWorks – Beauveria bassiana strain GHA
Mycotrol O – BioWorks - Beauveria bassiana strain GHA
PFR 97* – Certis - Isaria (Paecilomyces) fumosorosea
Preferal* – Sepro - Isaria (Paecilomyces) fumosorosea
NoFly – Natural Industries – Paecilomyces fumosoroseus
strain FE 9901
*Same products – SePRO is subregistering from Certis
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Mycoinsecticide Infection
May never
be seen
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Monitoring Effectiveness
Healthy
Infected
Sporulation is NOT a measure of control
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A spore is a spore – or is it?
• Blastospores (Isaria, Paecilomyces)
– produced by liquid fermentation in aqueous
solution
– Not a survival structure - dispersal structure
– Thin walled
– More fragile in spray tank and environment
– Require higher humidity to germinate/infect
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Not all spores are the same
• Conidiospores (Beauveria bassiana)
– Produced in drier conditions, exposed to air
– Survival structures
– Thicker walled, tougher
– Last longer in the environment, ready to infect
– Survive lower humidity, infect at lower RH
– Tolerant to chlorinated water
– Tank mixable with many chemicals
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Using Mycoinsecticides
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Know the label, know your pests
Start early in the cycle otherwise…
Understand pre- and post-spray reqts.
Insure full spray coverage
Observe proper spray sequence
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Using Mycoinsecticides (contd.)
• Exercise patience while the insects die
• Frequency vs. higher rates will ↑ control
• Store them properly (temp, light)
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Read the label
• NoFly cannot be used or tank mixed with
fungicides. 1 week separation.
• High water volume reqd.
• Apply immediately
• Applied during “low solar radiation: late
afternoon early night”.
• Apply during high relative humidity; below 86o F
• Use of manual sprayers highly recommended meaning no fogging.
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Read the Label
PFR-97 20% WDG
• Drift and runoff may be hazardous to aquatic
organisms
• Most effective when RH 80% or more for 8 –
10 hours
• Can mix with copper, but not compatible with
other fungicides. Allow 5 days before/after.
• Must be agitated for 20 – 30 minutes
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Example:
BotaniGard 22 ES, Mycotrol O
• Aphids, thrips, whitefly, mealybug, soft scale,
etc.
• Rate: 1 – 2 qts / acre
• Spray 2 - 3 times 3 – 5 days apart and/or
rotate in a program
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Example: (cont)
BotaniGard 22 ES, Mycotrol O
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Insure full coverage of leaves and stems
For thrips pupae spray/sprench the soil
Tank mix with a knockdown (high population)
Store below 85o F
Shelf life:
– 18 mo BotaniGard ES
– 12 months Mycotrol O
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The Issue of Humidity
What is this?
Insect spiracle
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Biofungicides for Root Diseases
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Biofungicides for Root Diseases
• It is a numbers “game”
– 1 x 10E7 spores per gram = 10,000,000
• 4 oz/100 rate = 1,134,000,000 spores
• 8 fl oz per pot = 709,000 spores per pot
• Best applied at sowing/potting/shifting
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Biofungicides for Root Diseases
• Reapply at appropriate intervals
• Apply unexpired product
• Easy on roots = no check in plant growth
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Biofungicides for Root Diseases
• Curative or preventative?
Preventative only
Must be applied to clean plants
There is no “reach back” or
systemic activity
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Modes of Action
• Bacterial – production of secondary
metabolites (antibiotics, etc.) that repel & kill
pathogens
• Fungal
Competitive exclusion
Mycoparasitism
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TRIVIA!!
What is Hawai’i’s longest
river?
Kaukonahua Stream
(south fork) on Oahu
at 33 miles
Root Disease Biofungicides
1. Products with bacterial a.i.
– CEASE, Rhapsody, Serenade (B. subtilis QST
713)
– Companion (Bacillus subtilis GB03)
– Premier with Biofungicide (B. subtilis MBI 600
or B. pumilis GHA 180
– Ecoguard (Bacillus licheniformis strain
SB3086)
– Actinovate (Streptomyces lydicus WYEC 108)
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Root Disease Biofungicides
2. Product with fungal a.i.
– RootShield (Trichoderma harzianum T-22)
– RootShield Plus (T. harzianum + T. virens
G-41)
– SoilGard (Gliocladium virens GL-21)
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Reapplication Interval
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Bacillus = 2 to 4 week reapplication
Streptomyces = “season long” (4 – 6 wks)
Gliocladium = 1 – 4 weeks
Trichoderma = 12 weeks (RootShield)
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Bacteria or Fungus?
Bacteria
• Pro – shelf life of 18 mo
• Con – metabolite “burst”
then over
• Con – short reapp interval
of 1 -4 weeks
• Pro – refrigeration not
required
• Con – sensitive to
chlorine and other
sanitizers
Fungus
• Con – shorter shelf life
6 mo to 1 year
• Pro - Continuous
competitive exclusion and
mycoparasitism
• Pro – long reapplication
interval -12 weeks
• Con – refrigeration required
• Pro – some tolerate many
input chemicals
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Tank Mixing Biopesticides
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Physical compatibility is only one dimension
Affect on spores is critical
Jar test will only indicate physical compatibility
Also, not a measure of phytotoxicity
Rely on manufacturers for compatibility
information (if they have it)
• Benefits from two biologicals or a chemical
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Questions?
John Francis
Technical Services Manager
800-877-9443 Ext. 305
jfrancis@bioworksinc.com