Potential of Paecilomyces fumosoroseus in control of cabbage caterpillars

Abstract

A collection of diseased insect specimens at two locations of cabbage growing areas in Kandy district yielded the isolation of two entomogenus fungi from several insect pest larvae and one of which was Paecilomyces fumosoroseus. The media tested for mass production of Paecilomyces fumosoroseus were boiled rice, boiled maize, water soaked rice, boiled greengram, boiled Kurakkan and water soaked Kurakkan. The boiled rice was the best medium for mass production and gave a yield of 2.4125 x 10^9 conidia/g at four weeks after inoculation. P. fumosoroseus was tested against larvae of Crocidolomia binotalis Zeller (Lepidoptera: Piralidae) and Plutella xylostella L. (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutidae). The results indicated that concentrations of 1.86 x 10^6 spores/ml and 1.8625 x 10^8 /ml were effective on C. binotalis while innoculum concentrations above 1.8625 x 10^3 spores/ml were effective on P. xylostella.