Evaluation of the efficacy of Bacillus thuringiensis in the biological control of Dipteran pests of mushroom in the laboratory and the farm

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Iranian Research Institute of Plant Protection, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Iran

2 . Iranian Research Institute of Plant Protection, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Iran

3 Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center of Safi-Abad, Dezful, AREEO, Dezful, Iran

Abstract

As the mushroom dipterans flies are permanent pests of mushroom farms, the growers frequently use the chemical pesticides. Since the mushroom growers and the consumers are always at the risk of chemical pesticides contamination, introducing non-chemical and biological methods is therefore necessary. This research was conducted with two experiments in the mushroom farm conditions. In the first experiment, a commercial formulation (Bioflash®) based on Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis was tested along with a number of common insecticides on composts. First experiment was carried out in a completely randomized design with seven treatments including Dimilin® 0.75 & 1 g/l, Bioflash® 1 & 2 ml/l, Tracer® 0.3 & 0.6 g/l and the control (the usual method of controlling flies with oreganophosphate insecticides) each with 10 replications. Based on the results of the first assay, an experiment was conducted in the mushroom farm conditions in three stages including Bioflash® incorporated into compost simultaneously with spawn inoculation, Bioflash® spray in pre-casing and Bioflash® drench into casing in comparison with the control. The results of the first experiment showed that all test insecticides were effective in decreasing the pest population, so that the average efficiencies of Dimilin® (1g/l), Tracer® (0.6 g/l) and Bioflash (2 ml/l) on 15 days after treatment were 67.9%, 74.2% and 79.9%, respectively with no significant difference among them. Farm experiment results showed that the application of Bioflash® drench into casing at six days after casing had the highest efficiency with 79.3% reduction in the population.

Keywords


Agricultural Statistics Board, 1988. Mushrooms: 1987- 1988 mushroom production. National Agricultural Statistics Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C.
Ahlawat, O.P. & Rai, R.D. 2001. Bacterial inoculants and their effect on the pinning, yield and false truffle disease incidence in Agaricus bitorquis, Journal of Scientific & Industrial Research, 69: 686–691.
Becker, N. & Margalit J. 1993. Use of Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis against mosquitoes and black flies, In:Entwistle, P.F., Cory, J.S., Bailey, J.M., Higgs, S. (eds.), Bacillus thuringiensis, an Environmental Biopesticide: Theory and Practice. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York, NY, pp. 255–267.
Brar, D.S. & Sandhu, G.S. 1991. Effect of insecticidal incorporations on the growth and yield of white button mushroom. Proceedings of Science and Cultivation of Edible Fungi, Dublin, Ireland.
Cantelo, W.W. & McDaniel, J.S. 1978. Mushroom f1ies Controlled by Incorporating Diazinon. Journal of Economic Entomology, 71: 670–673.
Cantelo, W.W., Henderson, D. & Argauer, R.J. 1982. Variation in sensitivity of mushroom strains to diazinon compost treatment. Journal of Economic Entomology, 75: 123–125.
Cantwell, G.E. & Cantelo, W.W. 1984. Effectiveness of Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensisin controlling a sciarid fly, Lycoriella mali, in mushroom compost. Journal of Economic Entomology, 77: 473–475.
Clifford, B.K. 1991. Field and laboratory evaluation of a Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis formulation for control of fly pests of mushrooms. Journal of Economic Entomology, 84(4): 1180–1188.
Clift, A.D. & Terras, M.A. 1992. Evaluation of two insect growth regulators for insect pest control in the Australian mushroom industry. Plant Protection Quarterly, 7: 59–61.
de Barjac, H. 1978. Un nouveau candidat a la lutte biologique contre les moustiques: Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis. Entomophaga, 23 (4): 309–319.
Erler, F., Polat, E., Demir, H., Catal, M., & Tuna, G. 2011. Control of mushroom sciarid fly Lycoriella ingenua populations with insect growth regulators applied by soil drench. Journal of Economic Entomology, 104: 839–844.
FattahiFar, 2016. Expert of the Ministry of Agriculture. Oral Mushroom Association. http://www.irmga.com/fa-default.html.
Federici, B.A., Luthy, P. & Ibara, J.E. 1990. Parasporal body of Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis: structure, protein composition, and toxicity. pp. 16– 44. InH. de Barjac & Sutherland D.J. [eds.], Bacterial control of mosquitos and black flies. Biochemistry, genetics and applications of Bacillus thurtngiensis israelensis and Bacillus sphaericus. Rutgers University Press, New Brunswick, N.J.
 Fletcher, J.T., White, P.F. & Gaze, R.H. 1989. Mushrooms: Pests and Disease Control, 2nd Edition. Andover: Intercept Ltd.
Fletcher, J.T. & Gaze, R.H. 2008. Mushroom pest and disease control. Manson Publishing, London.
Goldberg, L.J. & Margalit, J. 1977. A bacterial spore demonstrating rapid larvicidal activity against Anopheles sergentii, Uranotaeni aunguiculata, Culex univittatus, Aedes aegypti, and Culex pipiens. Mosq. News, 37: 355–358.
Hussey, N.W. 1969. Biological control of mushroom pests- fact and fantasy.Mushroom Growers’ Association Bulletin, 238: 468–472.
Hussey, N.W. & Gurney, B. 1968. Biology and control of the sciarid Lycoriella auripila Winn. (Diptera: Lycoriidae) in mushroom culture. Annals of Applied Biology, 62: 395–403.
Jess and Bingham, 2004. Biological control of sciarid and phorid pests of mushroom with predatory mites from the genus Hypoaspis (Acari: Hypoaspidae) and the entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema feltiae. Bulletin of Entomological Research, 94: 159–167.
Jess, S. & Kilpatrick, M. 2000. An integrated approach to the control of Lycoriella solani (Diptera: Sciaridae) during production of the cultivated mushroom (Agaricus bisporus). Pest Management Science, 56: 477–485.
Kertesz M.A. & Thai, M. 2018. Compost bacteria and fungi that influence growth and development of Agaricus bisporus and other commercial mushrooms. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, doi.org/10.1007/s00253-018-8777-z.
Khabbaz Jolfaii, H. & Moradali, M.F. 2000. Applied cultivation of Mushroom: diagnosis and control of diseases and pests of mushroom. pp. 134–135. In: Agricultural Science Publications. Tehran, Iran. (In Persian).
Lamprecht, S. 2011. The development and role of chemical solutions: an IRAC perspective Insecticide Resistance Action Committee (IRAC). pp. 1–30.
Mollayi, F. & Besharati, H. 2011. Effect of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) on Yield and quality of button mushroom in different industrial and agricultural wastes as growth beds.Journal of Soil Researche, 25(4): 373–384. (In Persian).
Rinker, D.L. & Alm, G. 2008. Managing Sciarid Flies with Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis. 17th International Society for Mushroom Science. Cape town, South Africa.
Shamshad, A. 2010. The development of integrated pest management for the control of mushroom sciarid flies,  Lycoriella ingenua (Dufour) and Bradysia ocellaris (Comstock), in cultivated mushrooms. Pest Management Science,66: 1063–1074.
Shamshad, A., Clift, A.D., & Mansfield, S. 2008. Toxicity of six commercially formulated insecticides and biopesticides to third instar larvae of mushroom sciarid, Lycoriella ingenua Dufour (Diptera: Sciaridae), in New South Wales, Australia. Australian Journal of Entomology, 47: 256–260.
Shamshad, A., Clift, A.D., & Mansfield, S. 2009. Effect of compost and casing treatments of insecticides against the sciarid Bradysia ocellaris (Diptera: Sciaridae) and on the total yield of cultivated mushrooms, Agaricus bisporus. Pest Management Science, 65: 375–380.
Smith J.E. 2004. An Integrated Pest and Disease Management System against Mushroom Sciurid.
Smith, J.E. & White, P.F. 1996. Diazinon resistance in mushroom pests. HDC Project News, 36: 12–15.
Staunton, R.M., Dunne, T. & Cormican, M.D. 1999. Chemical and Biological Control of Mushroom Pests and Diseases. End Proj. Rep. Proj. 4095, Teagasc, Kinsealy Res. Centre, Malahide Road, Dublin 17–19.
White, P.F. 1981. Chemical control of the mushroom sciarid  Lycoriella auripila (Winn.). Mushroom Science, 11: 265–273.
White, P.F. 1983. Mushroom pests: phytotoxicity of diazinon to mushroom mycelium. Report of Glasshouse Crops Research Institute, 1981: 98–99.
White, P.F. 1985. Pests and Pesticides, in Biology and Technology of Cultivated Mushrooms. John Wiley and Sons, Chichester, UK, PP. 279–293.
Wyatt, I.J. 1977. Principles of insecticide action on mushroom cropping: incorporation into compost. Annals of Applied Biology, 85: 375–388
Wyatt, I.J. 1978. Principles of insecticide action on mushroom cropping: incorporation into casing. Annals of Applied Biology, 88: 89–103.
Zhang, Z., Li, X., Chen, L., Wang, L. & Lei, C., 2016. Morphology, distribution and abundance of antennal sensilla of the oyster mushroom fly, Coboldia fuscipes (Meigen)(Diptera: Scatopsidae). Revista Brasileira de Entomologia, 60(1): 8–14.