Mycoinsecticides- Using Fungus to Kill Insect Pests

Sometimes the smallest things can become deadly. This is the case with fungal spores that attack and kill insects. Similar to the Cordyceps fame shown on Planet Earth, Beauveria and Isaria have been used for over thirty years to control greenhouse pests. 

Unlike chemicals, mycoinsecticides infect an insect through contact, not ingestion. Spores attach to the insect, germinate and produce enzymes that penetrate the cuticle, filling the body with more fungal spores leading to death within a few days. These fungal pathogens can infect all stages of an insect, from egg to adult. 

Benefits of Mycoinsecticides

• Entomopathogenic fungi make excellent resistant management tools
• Low toxicity and few safety concerns for workers
• Pre-harvest interval 0 days
• Less direct effect on beneficial insects than conventional chemistry
• Does not disrupt the soil microbial communities or persist in the environment
• Mixes well into solutions

Because mycoinsecticides do not persist in the environment they need to be reapplied every 3-10 days and can be used every 7 days as a preventative application. You may never see external fungal growth on the insects but instead look for dead or discolored insects or an overall reduction in pests after 2-3 applications. Apply beneficial insects after sprays are dry. 

Types of Mycoinsecticides

Velifer 

• Beauveria bassiana Strain PPRI 5339 8%
• Spray, dip, drench or fog
• Plant based oil formulation without phytotoxicity
• OD (oil dispersion)
• REI 12 hours
• For commercial greenhouse use only
  
• Fresh product delivery. Moves through supply chain with cold tunnel logistics
• Shelf life 24 months refrigerated or 12 months unrefrigerated

Botanigard

• Beauveria bassiana strain GHA 11.3%
• Broad spectrum mycoinsecticide
• 4 hour REI
• No limit to number of times Botanigard can be applied each season
• Available in wettable powder (WP) and emulsifiable suspension (ES)
• Use as foliar spray, aerial, drench or dip
• Can be tank mixed (often mixed with Azadirachtin) 

BioCeres

• Beauveria bassiana (ANT-03) 20%
• Certified organic
• Non phytotoxic
• PHI 0 days
• Shelf life up to 18 months refrigerated

NoFly

• Isaria fumosoroseus strain FE 9901 18%
• 6 month shelf life when refrigerated
• Minimal residue issues
• Can be used with cold fogger

LalGuard M52

• Metarhizium brunneum străin F52 11%
• Shelf life 18 refrigerated, 12 months in a cool, dry place
• Minimum impact to non-targets
• Available in OD and granular formulations

Best Practices for using Mycoinsecticides 

• Focus scouting to detect pests as early as possible and use mycoinsecticides at low to moderate pest populations
• Apply in low light conditions, early or late in day, as UV light will degrade spores
• Spores will germinate more effectively in high humidity. If spraying on a hot day, wet down the walkways and apply after irrigation or watering.
• Cool temperatures will delay spore germination. Optimal efficiency is between 71 to 82F. Avoid applications below 60 or over 90F

Friendly but deadly: Getting to know your mycoinsecticides.  Greenhouse Canada 2018

Velifer BASF 

Biology and Management of Wireworms in Western Washington. WSU Extension 2023