Biological Control最新文献

{"title":"Growth-promoting and biocontrol features of Pantoea ananatis BRT175 in tomato","authors":"Simon Duchateau ,&nbsp;Célia Borrego ,&nbsp;Sonia Verdelet ,&nbsp;Stéphan Dorey ,&nbsp;Aziz Aziz ,&nbsp;Sandrine Dhondt-Cordelier ,&nbsp;Charles Gauthier ,&nbsp;Éric Déziel ,&nbsp;Sylvain Cordelier ,&nbsp;Jérôme Crouzet","doi":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2025.105949","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2025.105949","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Beneficial bacteria belonging to <em>Pantoea</em> spp. and their interactions with plants have recently attracted growing interest for their beneficial effects, especially in promoting plant growth and health. In this study, we evaluated the growth-promoting and induced resistance activities of <em>Pantoea ananatis</em> strain BRT175 in tomato. <em>In vitro</em> assays revealed that this strain exhibits different beneficial traits, including phosphate solubilization, siderophore production, and IAA synthesis. These traits were further supported <em>in silico</em> by the presence of corresponding genes annotated in <em>P. ananatis</em> BRT175 genome. The capacity of this strain to significantly promote tomato growth was demonstrated under both growth chamber and greenhouse conditions. This bacterium also showed significant biocontrol activity through its antifungal effect against <em>Botrytis cinerea</em>. Interestingly, <em>P. ananatis</em> BRT175-derived ananatosides, a group of amphiphilic glycolipids, also showed an antifungal effect against <em>B. cinerea</em>. These glycolipids could therefore act as bacterial determinants contributing to protection against the pathogen. In addition, both root and leaf treatments with the bacterium resulted in a significant reduction of necrotic symptoms, suggesting that <em>P. ananatis</em> BRT175 potentially triggers systemic resistance of tomato. At the leaf level, <em>P. ananatis</em> BRT175 may displays a multifaceted protective effect by combining antifungal properties, competition for nutrients, and stimulation of tomato systemic resistance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8880,"journal":{"name":"Biological Control","volume":"212 ","pages":"Article 105949"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145788885","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Unveiling Nicotiana tabacum L. growth promotion and Fusarium root rot biocontrol by endophytic Bacillus spp. from different hosts","authors":"Zerui Feng ,&nbsp;Ruidong Fan ,&nbsp;Yunsheng Wang ,&nbsp;Jing Jing ,&nbsp;Hao Ouyang ,&nbsp;Shaobo Wang ,&nbsp;Tomislav Cernava ,&nbsp;Xiaoyulong Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2025.105930","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2025.105930","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Members of the genus <em>Fusarium</em> are considered to be highly prevalent plant pathogens globally. Utilizing biological control methods is an eco-friendly and cost-effective strategy to manage and mitigate the spread of plant diseases. In this study, 326 bacterial strains were isolated from 20 different hosts, and four selected isolates with high antagonistic activity against <em>F. oxysporum</em> B-9-1 were subsequently assessed in detail. Molecular identification revealed that these strains belong to <em>Bacillus</em> spp. Physiological assays indicated that all strains can produce indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), phosphate solubilization, protease, amylase, and cellulase. However, only two strains, <em>B. subtilis</em> A2M2177 and <em>B. subtilis</em> A2M2295, formed hydrolytic halos attributable to siderophore production. Plant growth promotion experiments showed that <em>Nicotiana tabacum</em> L. seedlings inoculated with <em>B. subtilis</em> A2M2177 and <em>B. subtilis</em> A2M2295 exhibited significantly better growth parameters, including plant height, leaf area, stem width, fresh weight, dry weight, and chlorophyll content. In addition, <em>B. subtilis</em> A2M2177 and <em>B. subtilis</em> A2M295 significantly reduced the occurrence and severity of tobacco root rot in greenhouse experiments. Overall, the results indicate a high potential for the use of <em>B. subtilis</em> A2M2177 and <em>B. subtilis</em> A2M2295 as biocontrol agents and plant growth promoters.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8880,"journal":{"name":"Biological Control","volume":"212 ","pages":"Article 105930"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145788956","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Entomopathogenic fungi and chemical insecticides have synergistic action against adult large pine weevil, Hylobius abietis","authors":"Johan van Vlaenderen ,&nbsp;Niamh Hennessy ,&nbsp;Padraig O’Tuama ,&nbsp;Christopher D. Williams ,&nbsp;Christine T. Griffin","doi":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2025.105945","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2025.105945","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The large pine weevil, <em>Hylobius abietis</em>, is a serious pest of reforestation across much of northern Europe. Larvae develop in the stumps and roots of recently felled conifers, and adults feed on the bark of young trees used to replant the site. Entomopathogenic fungi and chemical insecticides, alone and in combination, were tested against adult pine weevil in laboratory and field experiments. In a broad screening experiment, weevils were dipped in conidial suspension of <em>Beauveria bassiana</em> (Bb Naturalis and Bb SC4), <em>Beauveria caledonica</em> (Bc SG61) and <em>Metarhizium anisopliae</em> (Ma F52 and Ma SG6) and/or provided with twigs treated with chemical insecticides (cypermethrin, acetamiprid and thiacloprid). When assessed after 14 or 17 days, there was higher weevil mortality in combined treatments than expected based on individual treatments, with synergistic effects demonstrated in most cases. In a second laboratory experiment, Bb Naturalis, Bc SG61 and Ma F52 applied in each of two ways, either by dipping weevils or contaminating the substrate, gave synergistic effects in combination with cypermethrin, and mainly additive effects with acetamiprid. Weevil cadavers in all fungus-insecticide treatments tested developed mycosis, which would facilitate recycling of fungi in the field. In a field trial, a commercial formulation of Ma F52 (Met52) and cypermethrin were tested alone and in combination for protection of young Sitka spruce trees. Weevil feeding damage on trees treated with Met52 and half the recommended rate of cypermethrin did not differ significantly from that of trees that received full rate cypermethrin, but damage to trees that received half rate cypermethrin was higher. This study demonstrates the potential of entomopathogenic fungi to reduce the amount of chemical insecticide used to protect trees against pine weevil damage as part of an integrated pest management approach to pine weevil.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8880,"journal":{"name":"Biological Control","volume":"212 ","pages":"Article 105945"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145788834","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Combined applications of organic bran Fertilizer, biochar and microbial inoculants control tobacco soil-borne diseases by recruiting beneficial rhizosphere microbes and enhancing soil quality","authors":"Simin Zhang ,&nbsp;Jianyu Wei ,&nbsp;Jili Zhang ,&nbsp;Minghui Chen ,&nbsp;Yingying Zhang ,&nbsp;Yixia Cai ,&nbsp;Wei Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2025.105948","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2025.105948","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The application of green additives is an effective strategy to enhance soil health and control tobacco diseases. In this study, microbiome and metabolomics techniques were employed to investigate the mechanisms by which the combined application (SP) of organic bran fertilizer, biochar, and microbial inoculants suppresses tobacco soil-borne diseases. The results showed that SP significantly decreased the incidence of bacterial blight, black shank, and root rot by 66.58 %, 76.12 %, and 64.37 %, respectively. Soil pH, the contents of organic matter and total potassium were improved obviously, and the activities of catalase, polyphenol oxidase and invertase activities were enhanced, too. The abundance of beneficial bacterial genera, such as <em>Sphingomonas</em> and <em>Bacillus</em>, and fungal genera, including <em>Pseudeurotium</em> and <em>Rhizophagus</em>, increased significantly, whereas pathogenic genera such as <em>Gemmatimonas</em> and <em>Fusarium</em> were significantly suppressed. Bacterial functional groups associated with “peptidases and inhibitors” and fungal saprotroph-symbiotroph groups were distinctly enhanced. A total of 925 differential metabolites were identified in tobacco roots, stems, and rhizosphere soil. Lanceotoxin A increased by 119.96-fold in rhizosphere soil, with key metabolic pathways, including glucosinolates and alkaloids, activated, promoting the biosynthesis of disease-resistant metabolites such as gingerol and 12-KETE. Additionally, plant resistance was supported by Albizziin as well as by <em>Rhizophagus</em> and <em>Bacillus</em>. Structural equation modeling revealed that fungal abundance was negatively correlated with disease incidence but positively correlated with Lanceotoxin A. Soil nutrients accounted for a substantial proportion of the variation in enzyme activity and fungal community composition. Overall, SP provides a feasible and effective approach to controlling soil-borne diseases and enhancing tobacco yields through improved soil quality, regulated microbial communities, and activated host metabolic pathways.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8880,"journal":{"name":"Biological Control","volume":"212 ","pages":"Article 105948"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145788927","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Multi-omics dissection of Bacillus atrophaeus mediated antagonism against Wilsonomyces carpophilus in wild apricot","authors":"Ziyan Xu,&nbsp;Rong Ma","doi":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2025.105933","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2025.105933","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The development of green and targeted biocontrol agents requires a comprehensive understanding of the biocontrol potential of microbial strains and their interaction mechanisms with pathogens. In this study, we addressed the challenge of managing <em>Wilsonomyces carpophilus</em> by employing an integrative genomics and metabolomics approach to elucidate the antagonistic mechanisms of <em>Bacillus atrophaeus</em> XHG-1–3 m2. Genomic analysis rev ealed the presence of a complete srfABCD gene cluster along with diverse antimicrobial enzyme systems. Metabolomic profiling indicated that the strain undergoes metabolic reprogramming under interaction conditions, leading to the activation of arginine and proline biosynthesis while suppressing central carbon and phosphorus metabolism. This metabolic shift redirects resources toward the production of antimicrobial compounds. The fermentation broth exhibited a notable accumulation of amino acids, peptides, and alkaloids, achieving a peak inhibition rate of 79.38 % against the pathogen on day 5. A functional correlation was established between the key metabolite surfactin and the srfABCD gene cluster, confirming its pivotal role from both genetic and metabolic perspectives. Collectively, our findings demonstrate that <em>B. atrophaeus</em> XHG-1–3 m2 exerts biocontrol activity through metabolic reprogramming and the synergistic production of surfactin and other antimicrobial compounds. These results provide a molecular framework for developing targeted biocontrol strategies against fungal diseases in fruit trees.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8880,"journal":{"name":"Biological Control","volume":"212 ","pages":"Article 105933"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145788886","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Functional characterization of four antimicrobial defensins in the globally invasive pest Tuta (Phthorimaea) absoluta (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae)","authors":"Bo Xu ,&nbsp;Guohui Zhang ,&nbsp;Nannan Zhu ,&nbsp;Jörg Romeis ,&nbsp;Jana Collatz ,&nbsp;Guifen Zhang ,&nbsp;Cong Huang ,&nbsp;Yibo Zhang ,&nbsp;Fanghao Wan","doi":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2025.105944","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2025.105944","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Beauveria bassiana</em> and <em>Bacillus thuringiensis</em> are widely utilized entomopathogens for biological control. Insects combat these microbial threats through the activation of innate immune defenses, with antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), particularly defensins, playing pivotal roles. <em>Tuta</em> (<em>Phthorimaea</em>) <em>absoluta</em> (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), is a rapidly spreading and highly destructive invasive tomato pest that has developed resistance to conventional insecticides. To enhance the efficacy of entomopathogens targeted by AMPs, we investigated defensin functions in <em>T. absoluta</em> during pathogen challenge. A genome-wide survey identified four defensin genes (<em>tadef1</em>–<em>4</em>), each encoding 76–124 amino acids (228–372bp ORFs). All contained the insect defensin motif (C-X_5-16-C-X₃-C-X_9-10-C-X_4-7-CX₁-C) and a conserved two-exon structure. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed their membership in the insect defensin family. Post-infection expression profiling showed that <em>tadef1</em>/<em>2</em> were upregulated by both <em>B. bassiana</em> and <em>B. thuringiensis</em>, while <em>tadef3</em>/<em>4</em> were suppressed by <em>B. bassiana</em> but induced by <em>B. thuringiensis</em> relative to uninfected controls. Developmental and tissue-specific expression analyses showed that <em>tadef1</em>/<em>2</em> peaked in early instar larvae, especially midgut. Recombinant tadef1/2 demonstrated antibacterial activity against <em>B. thuringiensis</em> but lacked antifungal effects against <em>B. bassiana</em>. These results establish tadef1/2 as key effectors against Gram-positive bacteria and provide a molecular basis for improving the biocontrol of <em>T. absoluta</em> via immune modulation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8880,"journal":{"name":"Biological Control","volume":"212 ","pages":"Article 105944"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145788835","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Using drip irrigation to distribute entomopathogenic nematodes for the control of spotted wing drosophila","authors":"Isabel B. Lee-Park ,&nbsp;Jana C. Lee ,&nbsp;Amanda K. Hodson ,&nbsp;Fatemeh Ganjisaffar ,&nbsp;Dominick D. Skabeikis ,&nbsp;Frank G. Zalom","doi":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2025.105951","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2025.105951","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Laboratory studies suggest that entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) will successfully infect <em>Drosophila suzukii</em>, spotted-wing drosophila (SWD), a global pest of fruits including cherries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries. We conducted a series of studies to determine if the EPN, <em>Steinernema carpocapsae,</em> can be delivered through commercial drip irrigation systems that often contain screens, and whether these applications are effective against SWD larvae/pupae. Laboratory studies confirmed that commercially sourced <em>S. carpocapsae</em> can indeed infect SWD pupae and teneral adults and a sieve-shaker study determined that &gt;50 % of EPN infective juveniles (IJs) successfully moved through mesh screen filters with 0.125–0.4 mm openings. In a lathe house semi-field study, EPNs passed through drip tubing with 1 gph button emitters and grower standard drip tape with built-in 0.125 mm mesh filters and successfully infected SWD pupae. Two on-farm field studies confirmed EPNs were able to successfully move through drip tubing and infect SWD and waxworms (positive control) held in mesh sachets under raspberry vines or blueberry bushes. In the raspberry field study, distance from the injection site had little to no effect on EPN distribution.<!--> <!-->Results indicate that while EPN efficacy is influenced somewhat by irrigation specifications, such as filter mesh size, emitter type and spacing, drip systems with 120-mesh screens or with larger can successfully deliver nematodes resulting in SWD infection in berry cropping systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8880,"journal":{"name":"Biological Control","volume":"212 ","pages":"Article 105951"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145921370","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Streptomyces yinggelingensis sp. nov. YGL11-2: A novel biocontrol agent with dual activity against banana soil-borne and postharvest fungal diseases","authors":"Chunting Li ,&nbsp;Xixi Ou ,&nbsp;Dengfeng Qi ,&nbsp;Wei Wang ,&nbsp;Guopeng Zhu ,&nbsp;Yufeng Chen ,&nbsp;Miaoyi Zhang ,&nbsp;Yankun Zhao ,&nbsp;Yongzan Wei ,&nbsp;Junting Feng ,&nbsp;Kai Li ,&nbsp;Dengbo Zhou ,&nbsp;Jianghui Xie","doi":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2025.105947","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2025.105947","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Banana production is severely threatened by both <em>Fusarium</em> wilt (caused by <em>Fusarium oxysporum</em> f. sp. <em>cubense</em> tropical race 4, <em>Foc</em> TR4) and anthracnose (caused by <em>Colletotrichum musae</em>), which are devastating soil-borne and postharvest diseases, respectively. Biocontrol using antagonistic microorganisms offers an eco-friendly alternative for managing the concurrent occurrence of soil-borne and postharvest pathogens. In this study, strain YGL11-2 was isolated and characterized as a novel species of <em>Streptomyces</em> through polyphasic taxonomy, for which we propose the name <em>Streptomyces yinggelingensis</em> sp<em>.</em>nov<em>.</em> Genomic analysis of this strain revealed 48 secondary metabolite gene clusters, including compounds such as Ectoine and Anantin C, which exhibit potential antifungal activity. Strain YGL11-2 demonstrated dual antagonistic activity against <em>Foc</em> TR4 and <em>C. musae</em>, with half-maximal effective concentrations (EC₅₀) values of 12.01 mg/L and 25.31 mg/L, respectively. Regarding antifungal mechanisms, strain YGL11-2 extracts disrupted fungal cell membrane structures, caused hyphal and spore wrinkling and breakage, and inhibited spore germination. Pot experiments confirmed that banana seedlings treated with strain YGL11-2 extracts showed a reduced <em>Foc</em> TR4 disease index, achieving a control efficacy of 41.94 %, while significantly promoting root growth (+10.55 cm) and biomass accumulation (+46.40 %). In fruit experiments, bananas treated with strain YGL11-2 exhibited an anthracnose inhibition rate of up to 72.96 %, along with improved quality and delayed ripening. This study is the first to discover a novel <em>Streptomyces</em> species capable of cross-type control of both soil-borne and postharvest diseases, offering a breakthrough solution for controlling both types of banana diseases.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8880,"journal":{"name":"Biological Control","volume":"212 ","pages":"Article 105947"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145921368","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Use of agricultural bioinputs and chemical Inputs: Implications for earwig diversity and pest control in soybean fields","authors":"Flávia Fagundes de Paula ,&nbsp;Gleice Ane Souza Gonçalves ,&nbsp;Nícholas Ferreira Camargo ,&nbsp;Gilmar da Silva Nunes ,&nbsp;Davi de Lacerda Ramos ,&nbsp;André Rangel Nascimento ,&nbsp;Eliana Maria Gouveia Fontes","doi":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2025.105936","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2025.105936","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Earwigs are omnivorous predators that feed on a wide range of arthropod pests, including caterpillars, thrips, aphids, and fruit fly larvae, and thus play a critical role in the biological control of pests of economically important crops such as soybeans. The growing adoption of bioinputs as alternatives to synthetic chemical pesticides represents a promising strategy to reduce agrochemical dependence, enhance crop productivity, and support ecosystem-based pest regulation. This study aimed to assess earwig diversity in 19 soybean fields distributed along 11 farms in the state of Goiás, Brazil, subjected to varying levels of bioinput and chemical input application, analyze the population dynamics of earwigs and of their primary prey species, noctuid caterpillars and thrips, and investigate the relationship between the use of bioinputs and chemical inputs and earwig populations. <em>Euborellia annulipes</em> (Lucas) was the most abundant species. A significant negative correlation between earwig abundance and noctuid caterpillar pests and thrips underscores their role as effective biological control agents. Earwig abundance was positively correlated with the use of bioinsecticides and chemical pesticides with lower environmental hazard potential, and negatively affected by highly hazardous insecticides, fungicides, and herbicides. These findings confirm the role of earwigs in integrated pest management and the importance of adopting environmentally conscious agricultural practices that preserve biodiversity and support sustainable crop production.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8880,"journal":{"name":"Biological Control","volume":"212 ","pages":"Article 105936"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145921369","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparing autodissemination, soil inoculation and their combination as modes of application of Metarhizium anisopliae ICIPE 69 on the melon fly infesting courgette in Kenya under semi-field conditions","authors":"Rehemah Gwokyalya ,&nbsp;Thomas Dubois ,&nbsp;Susan K. Onsongo ,&nbsp;Joseph A. Odhiambo ,&nbsp;Komivi Senyo Akutse ,&nbsp;Samira A. Mohamed","doi":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2025.105955","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2025.105955","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The melon fly <em>Zeugodacus cucurbitae</em> (Coquillett) (Diptera: Tephritidae) is a significant pest of cucurbit crops, responsible for substantial yield losses and economic damage across Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Control of this pest currently relies heavily on synthetic insecticides, which are associated with environmental and human health risks, and contribute to the development of insecticide resistance. Entomopathogenic fungi offer a promising eco-friendly alternative, yet effectiveness of delivery methods remains a critical limitation in their widespread adoption. This study evaluated the efficacy of three application modes of <em>Metarhizium anisopliae</em> (Mechnikov) Sorokin (Hypocreales: Clavicipitaceae) isolate ICIPE 69, autodissemination devices (AD), soil inoculation (soil), and their combination (AD + soil), for control of <em>Z. cucurbitae</em> in courgette <em>Cucurbita pepo</em> L. (Cucurbitales: Cucurbitaceae) cultivated in field cages. Experiments were conducted in triplicate for two seasons i.e., April to August 2021 (season one) and October 2021 to February 2022 (season two). Infestation with 400 <em>Z. cucurbitae</em> (1: 1 male: female) adults and application of treatments was conducted at the onset of flowering. Fungal conidia acquisition of flies, conidial persistence in soil, <em>Z</em>. <em>cucurbitae</em> population dynamics and <em>C</em>. <em>pepo</em> yield were assessed. Flies in the AD treatment acquired the highest number of conidia (13.17 ± 0.89 conidia/fly) while those in the soil treatment acquired the lowest (0.87 ± 0.27 conidia/fly). AD + soil treatment significantly reduced <em>Z</em>. <em>cucurbitae</em> puparial recovery and suppressed adult fly populations more effectively than the individual treatments. The highest marketable yield was recorded in the AD + soil treated field cages while lowest yield was recorded in the control. These findings underscore the potential of combining entomopathogenic fungus delivery strategies to improve biological control of <em>Z. cucurbitae</em> and enhance crop productivity. Further field evaluations for compatibility with other biological control interventions and economic analyses are recommended to facilitate uptake among farmers.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8880,"journal":{"name":"Biological Control","volume":"212 ","pages":"Article 105955"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145921372","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}