Thrips control in several crops using assorted biopesticides

In 2009, several biopesticides were tested for efficacy against larval and adult thrips found in tomatoes, snap beans, collards and soybeans grown at the Eastern Shore Agriculture and Research Station located in Painter, VA. The treatments included: NZBP2102 (a liquid formulation of the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae), Ecotec, Radiant SC, a combination of Ecotec and Radiant SC, Entrust, Pyganic, Aza-Direct, Requiem QRD 452, and a spray regime which alternated treatments of Requiem QRD 452 with Radiant SC. Four of the biopesticides contain plant extracts which are responsible for their insecticidal activity. Ecotec contains a combination of rosemary and peppermint oil while Aza-Direct contains azadirachtin- an extract from the neem tree Azadirachta indica. Lambs quarters extract is the active ingredient in Requiem QRD 452. Finally, a derivative from chrysanthemum flowers, pyrethrin, gives Pyganic its insecticidal properties. Entrust contains spinosad which is a fermentation product of a soil bacterium Saccharopolyspora spinosa, while Radiant SC contains an artificially modified spinosad. Field trials were performed during the summer of 2009, and results varied among crops, as well as sampling dates. Across all crops, Radiant SC alone, Ecotec combined with Radiant SC, and Entrust consistently reduced thrips populations, although results were not always statistically significant. Similar efficacy trials were carried out during the summer of 2010 in peanuts and cotton grown in Suffolk, VA and in soybeans in Painter, VA. Treatments 2-7 listed above were replicated. In addition, another insecticide containing Borax, cold-pressed orange oil and various biodegradable surfactants (Prev-Am, Oro Agri, Inc.) was tested.