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ARS Home » Plains Area » Sidney, Montana » Northern Plains Agricultural Research Laboratory » Pest Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #351469
Research Project: Ecology and Management of Grasshoppers and Other Rangeland and Crop Insects in the Great Plains

Location: Pest Management Research

Title: Opportunities for microbial control of pulse crop pests

Author
item Jaronski, Stefan

Submitted to: Annals of the Entomological Society of America
Publication Type: Review Article
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/14/2018
Publication Date: 7/24/2018
Publication URL: http://handle.nal.usda.gov/10113/6472398
Citation: Jaronski, S. 2018. Opportunities for microbial control of pulse crop pests. Annals of the Entomological Society of America. 111(4):228-237. https://doi.org/10.1093/aesa/say011.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/aesa/say011

Interpretive Summary: Pulse crops — pea, lentil, garbanzo — have seen greatly increased acreage in U.S. and Canada during the past few years. Large increases have occurred especially in lentils and chickpea, yielding a 2017 crop value of $1,674,000,000 from 1.4 million hectares. With the expansion in these crops have come insect pest problems from a series of beetles, lepidopterans, aphids, Lygus bugs and grasshoppers. Biological control, especially use of microbial pest agents such as insect pathogenic viruses, bacteria, and fungi, of the diverse pests in pulses has been a virtually ignored area. A literature search revealed that there are almost no registered microbial pest control agents (MPCA) for the different pulse pests. In some cases a microbial is registered for use against specific pests, e.g., grasshoppers, but not in pulse crops. In most cases best use practices for any of the microbials are not defined for pulses. Thus there are ample research opportunities in this area. This review discusses what is actually or potentially available to manage each of the pulse crop pests and identifies research needs to make microbial control measures a reality.

Technical Abstract: The insect pest complex in U.S. pulse crops is almost an “orphan” in terms of developed microbial control agents that the grower can use. There are almost no registered microbial pest control agents (MPCA) for the different pulse pests. In some cases a microbial is registered for use against specific pests, e.g., grasshoppers, but not in pulse crops. In most cases best use practices for any of the microbials are not defined for pulses. Thus there are ample research opportunities in this area. This review discusses what is actually or potentially available to manage each of the pulse crop pests and identifies research needs to make microbial control measures a reality.