Location: Temperate Tree Fruit and Vegetable Research
Project Number: 2092-22000-022-042-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Jun 15, 2024
End Date: Aug 31, 2025
Objective:
The objective of this project is to test the efficacy of four strains of B. bassiana as biopesticides against potato psyllid.
Approach:
This study will be carried out in the entomology greenhouse at Hermiston Agricultural Research and Extension Center (HAREC) and repeated at the research spaces at USDA-ARS Wapato, WA. Untreated seeds (with bark dust) of Russet Burbank will be used in this study. Each treatment will consist of 10 plants with three replicates arranged in a randomized complete block design. Seeds will be planted in caged potted soils (one plant per cage) and watered as needed after emergence. When plants reach vegetative growth stage (~20 days after planting), five field-caught adult potato psyllids (mixed sexes) will be introduced to each plant and allowed to feed for 24hrs. Prepared conidia suspensions of each EPF strain will be sprayed on the foliage of each plant. Control plants will only be sprayed with surfactants used to prepare conidia suspensions. Spraying will be repeated once a week until plants senesce. To assess psyllid abundance, 10 leaves per plant will be randomly observed to count psyllids. Abundance will be assessed three
