BIOLOGICAL CONTROL

OF PESTS ATTACKING
VEGETABLES :
AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT
IN ORGANIC FARMING

JESRYL B. PAULITE,MS
Crop Protectionist
• Crops especially vegetables are highly vulnerable to attack
of wide array of insect pests

• Timing of control is highly critical

- damage is enormous and irreversible
• Insects found in vegetables are not properly recognized
- not known: species, biology, behavior, damage, natural enemies, etc.

• Pest monitoring is generally not done

- control is done whenever insects are encountered
• Growers generally know only one control method:
- chemical control
• Growers: unaware of other non-pesticide mgt. methods
- cultural, physical, biological, etc.

• Non-pesticide mgt. methods are difficult to implement

 Control of Pests
Organic Farming vs. Integrated Pest Mgt. (IPM)

Organic Farming

 Crops are protected from pests without the application of

synthetic pesticides & other harmful substances and
without the use of GMO

 rely upon crop rotations, mechanical cultivation, and

aspects of biological control & farm is carefully designed to
achieve the desired diversity and integration
Organic Farming vs. Integrated Pest Mgt. (IPM)

Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

 the intelligent manipulation of pest population using a combination of
possible techniques (cultural practices, legal control, physical and other
techniques) in consideration of natural regulatory factors to reduce
economic damage and avoid unwanted side effects.
 involves a series of mgt. decisions as to the right manner to supply a
control or suppression measures.

 Follows the following guidelines:

* growing a healthy crop
* enhancement of natural control mechanisms
* regular field monitoring
* need-based application of least toxic chemicals (last resort)
 IPM utilizes the following:
 Combine all possible methods of managing pests
* Enhancement of biological control agents
* Use of resistant varieties/GMOs
* Knowledge of compatible cultural farm practices
* Need-based use of chemicals based on pest monitoring

 Control of pests in organic agriculture:

 control pests through a combination of means w/o creating
imbalances in the environment
* strictly no pesticide application
* GMOs are not allowed

 IPM may be equated with organic agriculture

if GMOs and pesticides will not be utilized.
Pest Management in Organic Agriculture
A. Cultural Control – farm operations that are
unfavorable to pest but favors crop
production
1. Thorough land preparation
* plowing & harrowing exposes insects and disease
inoculum
* primarily reduce weed density

2. Synchronized planting
* susceptible stage of crop should not coincide w/ pest
popln. peak
* in rice, planting should not be delayed by ~1 month
3. Sanitation
* removal of all breeding sites and food sources
Cleome rutidosperma and Indian mustard serve as
alternate hosts of flea beetle, DBM, cutworm, cabbage
moth, leaf miner and aphids.
A. Cultural Control
4. Intercropping or multiple cropping
* intercropping with mungbean reduce ACB population
* mungbean flowers provide nectar as food for beneficial insects
5. Crop rotation
* rotating tomato w/ ampalaya/squash break the life cycle of pest.
6. Selective weeding
* spiny amaranth (weed) serve as refuge for spiders & predatory
flower bug, efficient predator of thrips and eggs & small larvae.
7. Mulching with organic mulch like rice straw
* conserve soil moisture (better plant growth)
* lower weed population
* lower population of thrips
* mulching + release of predatory earwigs:
- in sitao, lower population of pod borer & aphids
- in eggplant, lower popln. of eggplant borer & leafhoppers.
Pest Mgt. in Organic Agriculture….
B. Biological Control
* use of living organisms to suppress pest population
* compatible with other control methods

1. Parasitoid – Trichogramma, Diadegma, Trathala

2. Predator - earwig, lady beetle, flower bug

3. Pathogens – bacteria, viruses, fungus, protozoa

1. Parasitoids Trichogramma

attack eggs or larvae

parasitic during the
immature stage
adults are free-living
Trichogramma

Tachinid
fly

require single host to

complete its life cycle
Apanteles
 always kill the host
 Trichogramma, an effective egg parasitoid

 minute wasps (0.1 – 0.5 mm long) parasitizing the eggs of lepidopterous pests.
 relatively specific
* T. evanescens- corn borer
* T. chilonis - corn earworm, leaf folder, fruit borer, etc
* T. japonicum - rice stem borer (striped)
 short life cycle ( 7-9 days)
 mass produced in the laboratory using eggs of rice moth, as unnatural host.
 Inundative releases of Trichogramma: significant breakthrough in suppression
of pests since insect are controlled while in the egg stage.
 Parasitization of corn borer egg masses from the different regions of the
country ranged from 40 to 100%.
 Utilization of Trichogramma

 Corn: release T. evanescens weekly at the rate of 50 cards

per ha (3 releases) starting at 25-30 DAP (P450.00)

Tomato: release T. chilonis starting at 2-3 weeks after

transplanting (WAT). The first 2 releases (twice a week)
at 50 cards/ha then repeat at weekly interval (4X) at the
rate of 25 tricho cards/ha.

 Eggplant: release T. chilonis starting at 2-3 WAT. The first

2 releases (twice a week) & repeat at weekly interval
(4X) at the rate of 25 tricho cards/ha.
 Biological Control. . . . .
2. Predator
 usually larger than its prey
 requires several prey to complete their life cycle

 Earwigs - Euborellia annulata, Euborellia philippinensis,

Proreus simulans, Nala lividipes, Labiduria riparia
* feed on egg masses, young larvae and pupae

 Flower bug, Orius tantillus - feed on eggs and early instar

larvae of lepidopterous insect pests

 Coccinellid beetles = Micraspis discolor and Cheilomenes

sexmaculatus

 Lacewing - Chrysopa carnea

 A. Earwigs
(Order Dermaptera)
 recognition

 longated
Proreus simulans Labidura riparia

 flattened

 mobile abdomen
is extended into
a pair of forceps Nala lividipes
Euborellia annulata
 general predator (earwigs)
 eggs, larvae & pupae of Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, Diptera
 leafhoppers

 aphids
 soft bodied insects

 nocturnal (more active at night)

 preferred slightly moist conditions

 possess maternal instinct

 brood their eggs

 care for the first instar nymphs

 Current information on E. annulata as
biocon agent against insect pests
 biology is already known
 devt. from egg to adult ~ 35 days

 lays 6 egg batches w/ 40 eggs

per batch or total of 240 eggs

 undergoes four nymphal instars

 egg hatches in 6-8 days

sex ratio is 6:1 in favor of the female

survivor from egg to adult is about 90%

 lives ~ 74 days
MASS REARING Of E. ANNULATA…………..
 Sterilize 2.5 kg soil:sand mixture (3:1 by vol) inside the plastic tray

 Moisten the mixture

to ~ 27 – 30% mc.
 Release adults (36
females & 12 males)
 Feed weekly with about
10 g food mixture.

 Feed w/ corn cob & dog

food mixture (~20 g each).

Time Stage of Earwig Development Total

(month) 1st instar 2nd instar 3rd instar 4th instar Adult
2 278 299 172 246 267 1,262
3 3,378 172 126 121 505 4,302
4 984 3,558 988 836 341 6,737
 Field releases of earwig in eggplant
• Place rice straw/organic
mulch at 2-3 weeks after
transplanting (WAT)

• Place 200 individuals (2nd

to 4th instar nymphs) in a
plastic tray w/ moist soil

• Release earwigs 2X:

* 1st release (3 WAT) – 20,000 individuals/ha
* 2nd release (4 WAT) - 20,000 individuals/ha

* Earwigs feed on aphids, leafhoppers (nymphs)

and lepidopterous pests (eggs, larvae and pupae)
 B. Flower bug, Orius tantillus
(Hemiptera: Anthocoridae)
 Extensively studied as
predator of thrips

 Dominant predator in corn:

feeds on ACB egg masses & larvae
Orius tantillus

 Feed on eggs of earworm & other lepidopterous pests

 Evaluated against eggplant insect pests (thrips & borer)

 Ideal biocon agent:

 high reproductive rate
 short generation time (10.6 d for male; 13.2 for female
 high searching ability
Biological Control …….
C. Pathogens – Microorganisms that cause disease
(fungus, viruses, bacteria, protozoa)
Fungus
Beauveria bassiana Metarhizium anisopliae

Chalky white spores Infected black bug

on brown planthopper
Bacterial Antagonist
→ use of microbial antagonists to suppress diseases
→ Mechanism as follows;
antibiosis parasitism competition
 Biological Control of Soilborne Diseases
Disease Causal Organism Biocon
1. Crown gall Agrobacterium Agrobacterium radiobacter
tumifaciens (Agrocin 84®)

2. Damping off and soft Pseudomonas fluorescens, P.

rot putida, P.cepacia, P.
Aureofaciens group

3. Damping off and root Pythium &Phytophthora Bacillius cereus (especially

rot Fusarium, Rhizoctonia strain UW85®) and Pantoea sp.
& Gaummanomyces
Root rot Bacillus subtilis or
Streptomyces sp.
4. Root knot nematode Pasteuria penetrans
 Bioligical Control of Aerial Plant Parts

Disease Causal Organism Biocon

1. Fire Bligth of Apple Erwinia amylovora Erwinia herbicola
Blossom
2. Bacterial Leaf (Xanthomonas oryzae Erwinia & Pseudomonas
Streak of Rice pv oryzicola)
3. Leaf spot of grasses Helminthosporium Pseudomonas fluorescens
dictyoides
4. Apple Leaf Scars Nectria galligena Bacillus subtilis
Grapes Leaf Scars Eutypa lata
5. Cercospora & Pseudomonas cepia or Bacillus
Alternaria Leaf Spot sp.
 Bioligical Control of Postharvest Disease

Disease Causal Organism Biocon

1. Lemon, Pear Green Penicillium sp. Pseudomonas syringae

Mold

2. Brown rot of Stone Monilinia fructicola Bacillus subtilis

Fruits

3. Avocado Storage Rot Bacillus subtilis

4. Aflatoxin Aspergillus flavus Bacillus subtilis (Bacillomycin®)

Biological Control of Bacteria Mediated
Frost-Injury
→ application with P.syringae, P. Fluorescens, & E. herbicola
 Biological Control of Weeds
Weeds Scientific name Biocon
Jointvetch Weed of Rice & Aeschynomene Colletotrichum gloeosporioides
Soybean virginica (Collego)

Milkweed Vine weed of Morrenia adorata Phytophthora

Citrus Orchards of Florida palmivora (DeVine)

Weed Sicklepod of Peanut Cassia obtusifolia Alternaria cassiae (Casst)

& Soybean crop of the
southeastern United
States

Roundleaf Mallow in North Malva pusilla C. gloeosporioides (BioMal®)

America
 Weeds Scientific name Biocon
Jointvetch Weed of Rice & Aeschynomene Colletotrichum gloeosporioides
Soybean virginica (Collego)

Milkweed Vine weed of Morrenia adorata Phytophthora palmivora (DeVine)

Citrus Orchards of Florida

Weed Sicklepod of Peanut Cassia obtusifolia Alternaria cassiae (Casst)

& Soybean crop of the
southeastern United
States

Roundleaf Mallow in North Malva pusilla C. gloeosporioides (BioMal)

America

Pigweed Amaranthus spp. Phomopsis amaranticola

 Weeds Scientific name Biocon

Waterweed Water Eichhornia Cercospora rodmanii

Hyacinth crassipes

Bermuda grass Xanthomonas campestris pv.

poannua

Cocklebur Xanthium Alternaria helianthi

pennsylvanicum

Spurred Anoda Anoda cristata Alternaria macrospora

Velvetleaf Abutilon Colletotrichum coccodes

theophrasti

Showy crotalaria Crotalaria Colletotrichum

spectabilis dematium f. sp. Crotalariae
 Bioligical Control of Rice Major Diseases
Disease Causal organism Biocon
Blast Pyricularia grisea Pseudomonas fluorescens
(Cooke) Sacc.
Brown spot Bipolaris oryzae Pseudomonas sp.
P. aeruginosa
Sheath blight Rhizoctonia solani P. fluorescens
P. putida
Bacillus sp.
B. subtilis
B. laterosporus
B. pumilus
Serratia marcescens
Pseudomonas sp.
P. aeruginosa
 Disease Causal Organism Biocon

Sheath rot Sarocladium oryzae P. fluorescens

B. subtilis
P. aeruginosa
Pseudomonas sp.

Stem rot Sclerotium oryzae P. fluorescens

P. aeruginosa
B. subtilis
B. pumilus

Tungro Rice tungro virus P. fluorescens (for vector)

Vector - Nephotettix
spp.

Bacterial blight Xanthomonas oryzae Bacillus sp.

pv. oryzae
 Bioligical Control of Banana Diseases
Disease Causal organism Biocon
Black leaf streak or Pseudocercospora Bacillus subtilis
Sigatoka fijensis
Bacterial wilt or Moko Pseudomonas/ Ralstonia Bacillus subtilis
solanacearum Lactobacillus plantarum
Lactobacillus casei
Registered Bacterial Antagonist
Bacterial antagonist Application
Agrobacterium radiobacter Root dip, antibiosis
Bacillus subtilis Seed or soil treatment
Burkholderia cepacia Seed application for root diseases

Pseudomonas fluorescens Frost resistance and bacterial

diseases tomato, pepper,
strawberry, mushroom

Pseudomonas syringae Post harvest fruit application

Streptomyces griseoviridis Drench, spray or in irrigation for
lots of problems on vegetables -
antibiosis
Potential Advantages of Biological Control for
Plant Diseases

1. Can play a key role in integrated management of diseases

2. Reduce the use of chemical fungicides and nematicides

3. Reduce likelihood of undesirable effects (environment pollution,

effects on non-target organisms, resistance development against
pesticides) from chemical pesticide

4. Provide greater flexibility in disease management

5. Decrease disease intensity leading to higher production

6. Safe for the users and the farming community

Potential Disadvantages of Biological Control
for Plant Diseases

7. May have deleterious effects on non-target micro-organisms

8. Pathogens may develop resistance to the biocontrol agent

9. Pathogen replacement may follow control of target disease pathogen

10. Seasonal/weather phenomena can make biocontrol agent

ineffective
 Virus

NPV’s are highly specific insect pathogens

used as microbial pesticides

The route of infection is through ingestion

They multiply in all internal organs and tissues,

killing the host insects

They cause no disease on mammals, birds, fishes

and non-target insects
 IPM Management Tactics
C. Mechanical/Physical Control

• Handpicking - feasible only if dealing with few plants.

• Bagging
– done to prevent fruit flies from laying eggs
- bagging with plastic bag, newspaper or net
should be properly timed

• Trap crop
- it is assumed that the trap crop is more
preferred by the pest than the main crop
- should be planted ahead of the main crop
- examples are “kadyos” (earworm)
and Indian mustard (diamondback moth)
Trapping
• light trapping
- the use of semi-UV light in rice and
cotton was found effective in
trapping a wide range of insect
pests (Solsoloy, 2005).

- adults trapped in UV lamp

immediately after emergence were
unable to lay egg on crops,
consequently reducing
their potential damage.

• Planting of herbs/repellent
- insects use sense of smell to locate their hosts
- herbs/repellent have different odor from the host plant
 * Use of yellow sticky trap
- aphids and leafminer are attracted in yellow color

a. Eggplant at Fruiting Stage (installed April 11, 2007

and counted the following day)

Pests: Beneficials:
1. Leafhoppers 61 1. Cheilomenes 3
2. Diptera 2 2. Diptera 1
3. Flea beetle 4 3. Hymenoptera 1
4. Hemiptera 1
5. Spider 1
TOTAL 67 7
(90.50%) (9.50%)
b. Trapping of Arthropods Using Yellow Sticky Trap

Pests: Beneficials:
1. Fruitfly 7 1. Hemiptera 7
2. Lepidoptera 1 2. Hymenoptera 35
3. Hemiptera 40 3. Spider 1
4. Coleoptera 12 4. Coleoptera 2
5. Diptera 80 5. Diptera 20
TOTAL 140 65
(68.3 %) (31.7%)
 D. Use of botanical insecticides

Table 1. Contact toxicity of water extract1 applied at 200 mg/ml against DBM
larvae2.

Common Name Scientific Name Parts Used % Mortality

(48 hrs)
a. Yellow dilaw Curcuma longa (L.) rhizomes 93
b. Tubli Derris elliptica (Rosch.) roots 100
c. Makabuhai Tinospora rumphii vines 100
d. Lagundi Vitex negundo L. leaves 63
e. Kakawate Gliricidia sepium Jacq. leaves 88
===========================================================================================================================================================
====

1
Plant materials were homogenized in appropriate amount of water to make the desired
concentration (wt/vol) and then filtered. The filtrate served as the stock solution, which
was used for preparing concentrations of 10, 50, 100 and 200 mg/ml.
2 One to 2-day-old 3rd instar larvae were exposed to sprayed leaf square.
2. Use of Sex pheromone
- female secrete insects secrete sex pheromones to attract males.
- an important tool in pest monitoring & regulating population.

- if males can be attracted by the pheromone traps, fertilization will be

greatly reduced.
Disease Management in Organic
Vegetable Production
 Disease Management in Organic
Vegetable Production
I. Avoid/prevent introduction of pathogens
1. Quarantine and inspection
2. Crop certification – phytosanitary certificate
3. Evasion or avoidance of pathogen
• Grow crops in areas where
environmental conditions are
unfavourable
• Select proper planting dates and proper
sites
• Planting wind breaks and trap crops
• Planting in well-drained soil
4. Use pathogen-free planting materials
 Disease Management in Organic
Vegetable Production
II. Eradicate/reduce pathogen inoculum
1. Biofumigation
2. Crop rotation
3. Biological methods
• Use of Trichoderma
4. Creating conditions unfavourable to the
pathogen
• Proper spacing, choice of fertilizer, changes in soil pH,
dry fallow, flooding
5. Polyethylene traps and mulches
• for vegetable viruses transmitted by aphids, thrips,
whiteflies
6. Sanitary pruning/rouging infected plant or
plant parts
 Disease Management in Organic
Vegetable Production
III. Plant resistant crops
IV. Protect crops from infection
• Use of mycorrhizae (VAM) – Dr. Marilyn
Brown – BIOTECH
 Disease Management in Organic
Vegetable Production

• Spray with compost tea

• Spray with indigenous microorganism (IMO)
and fermented plant juice (FPJ)
Biofumigation
 Refers to the
beneficial effects
gained from the use
of cruciferous plants
such as broccoli,
cabbage, mustard
and radish, as green
manure or rotation
crops in cropping
systems
(Kirkegaard, 1999)
Biofumigation
 As green manure – plant
tissues are macerated and
incorporated in the soil,
isothiocyanates (gas) are
released that can kill
bacterial wilt pathogen and
root knot nematodes.
• Other toxic chemicals
(acetaldehyde,
alcohols, ammonia
etc.) are also
released during
decomposition – kill
harmful organisms
Biofumigation

• Organic matter tends to increase

population of beneficial bacteria and
fungi that help reduce further
population of soil-borne plant
pathogens
• Improve soil texture and increase
soil fertility
• More effective in light soil (sandy
loam soil)
How to use biofumigation
effectively?
 Prepare the land thoroughly and sow mustard
seeds at the rate of 4 kg per ha.
• When sources of Brassica wastes are
available near the area, these can be used
as biofumigants
 When mustard plants are about to flower, plow
them under and rotavate immediately to crush the
tissues
• Brassica wastes obtained from nearby fields;
chop tissues, incorporate in the soil at the
rate of 5 kg per square meter area and
rotavate immediately
How to use biofumigation effectively?

 Irrigate the soil to field capacity to

hasten decomposition and seal soil
pores to minimize dissipation of
gaseous ITC
 Plow the field 3 to 4 weeks after
biofumigation and plant healthy
seedlings of tomato, eggplant, potato
etc.
 Apply compost tea

 Non-aerated compost tea (NCT) or aerated

compost tea (ACT)
 Compost feed stock with best control using
NCT – animal manures (cattle, poultry, etc)
 Other feed stocks: spent mushroom
substrate, yard trimmings
 Compost should not be more than 9-12
months old
 Compost to water ratio – no more than 1:10
 Fermentation time – 5 to 8 days
How might compost teas work (NCT)

 Prevention of pathogen colonization

• Due to competition for space or
nutrients
• Direct destruction of the pathogen
 Antibiosis
• Release of antimicrobial compounds
 Induced resistance
• NCT changed host response to
pathogen
Crop Rotation

 Prevent disease build up

 Rotations must be carefully planned
 Know what crops are affected by what disease
organisms
 Group vegetable rotations by families
 Effective against pathogens that survive in soil
or crop residue
 Not effective against pathogens that can
survive long periods in the soil w/o a host
Ex. Fusarium in asparagus and
Plasmodiophora in crucifers (can survive for 7
yrs w/o the host)
Biological methods

Two types of disease suppression:

Specific vs General

 Specific suppression
- one organism directly suppressing a known
pathogen
Ex. Trichoderma spp. vs Rhizoctonia and
Sclerotium sp. Causing damping-off of
seedlings
- Trichoderma pellets – available in UPLB
(Dr. Virginia Cuevas – IBS)
Biological methods

 General suppression
- suppressiveness is linked to the types
and numbers of soil organisms, fertility
level and nature of the soil
Biological methods

 General principle
- add beneficial soil organisms and the food
they need
- make the environment less favourable for
pathogen and the host plant less susceptible
Biological methods

 Goal is highest number and diversity of soil

organisms
- the higher the diversity, the more stable the
biological system
- build a new, stable balance of soil organisms
that will be adapted to the altered soil
conditions
Biological methods

 Goal is highest number and diversity of soil

organisms
- Beneficial organisms will suppress disease
through:
• Competition for space and nutrients
• Antagonism
• Direct feeding (predation) or parasitism on
pathogenic fungi, bacteria, nematodes
• Antibiosis – release of antimicrobial
compounds
• Induced resistance – trigger chemical or
structural changes in plant
PARASITISM

FUNGI vs. FUNGI

(A) Rhizoctonia being parasitized by Trichoderma harzianum and (B)
Rhizoctonia hyphae showing loss of turgor and cell collapse.
Hyphae of Pythium Attachment of the yeast biocontrol agent
nunn penetrating a Pichia guillermondii on hypha of Botrytis
hypha of the cinerea (A) and Penicillium expansum (B).
pathogenic fungus
Phytophthora
 PARASITISM

FUNGI vs. NEMATODE

A nematode trapped in constricting ring of the fungus
Arthrobotrys dactyloides. Another ring trap is visible at
right.
Egg of Meloidogyne incognita parasitized by the fungus
Paecilomyces.
Strategies or methods to increase the
number and diversity of soil organisms

 Apply compost – acts as food source and

shelter for the antagonists that compete with
pathogens, prey on or parasitize pathogens,
and for beneficials that produce antibiotcs
- root rots caused by Pythium and Phytophthora are
suppressed by high numbers and diversity of beneficial
microbes found in compost
 Compost and compost teas also activate
disease resistance genes in plants
Protect crops from infection by
pathogens
1. Spray with compost tea

2. Spray with indigenous microorganisms (IMO)

and fermented plant juice (FPJ)
Preparation of IMO

 Place 1 kilo cooked rice in bamboo pole open on one side

 Cover open end with clean sheet of paper and tie with a
string, then cover with plastic sheet to keep out rain,
insects etc.,
 Place under trees or shade; remove after 3 days. Molds
will form on top of rice
 Place moldy rice in clay jar and mix with 1 kilo of brown
sugar or molasses.
 Cover the jar with clean paper and tie with a string. Place
in cool and shaded place. After 7 days a mud-like juice is
formed.
 Mix 2 tablespoon of juice in 1 liter of water and spray to
plants and soil.
Preparation of FPJ

 Chop 2 kilos of banana stem/trunk (saba or cardaba) or

other ingredients like kangkong or camote tops.
 Mix with 1 kilo of crude sugar or molasses; place in clay
jar, put heavy object on top to press the contents at the
bottom
 Remove the heavy object the next day; cover with clean
sheet of paper and tie with a string. Put the jar in a cool
and shaded place and allow to ferment for 7 days.
 Mix 2 tablespoons of the juice with 1 liter of water. Mix
with the IMO concoction and spray to plants and soil once
a week.
BIOLOGICAL CONTROL AGENTS &
PRODUCT
COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE IN THE
PHILIPPINES
BIOLOGICAL CONTROL OF
INSECT PESTS
1. Bactrolep.

The product contains Bt strain that can

kill vegetable pests such as corn borer
and diamond back moth in crucifers. It
is compatible with parasites and
predators and is environmentally safe.
2. Pelmictrol
 This biocide contains endotoxins from Bt
strain. It kills mosquito larvae but safe for
humans and other life forms.
3. Metarhizium
A fungus-based (Metarhizium anisopliae)
biocide for the control of wide array of
insects by penetrating and secreting
toxins in the insect's body cavity. It was
developed by NCPC.
4. Nuclear polyhydroses virus
This beneficial virus can control
specific insects such as lepidopterans.
It was developed by NCPC.
5. Beauveria
A fungus (Beauveria bassiana) that
can control many insects by penetrating
the body wall and producing toxins in the
body cavity.
6. Trichogramma
 This is a wasp that act as an effective
egg parasitoid to various lepidopteran
insect pests such as corn borer (T.
evanescens), vegetables (T. chilonis),
cacao pod borer (T. cojuangcoi ) & rice
stem borers (T. japonicum)
7. Diadegma semiclausum
 This larval parasitoid is effective against
diamond back moth applied during the
larval stage
BIOLOGICAL CONTROL OF
PLANT DISEASES
1. Bio-act
 A fungal product (Paecilomyces
anisopliae) that can control nematodes
developed by the National Crop
Protection Center (NCPC).
The product is now commercialized by a
private company in Australia.
2. Bacillus subtilis (Serenade)
 Bacteria used as antagonist for fungal
pathogens like M. fijiensis causing black
leaf streak or sigatoka

Pseudocercospora fijiensis
3. Trichoderma harzianum
Trichoderma viride
 Antagonist and induced resistance to
plants applied at seedling/plant
development
 Major activities in biocontrol R&D in the past
several years were on field collection,
screening, and characterization of isolates;
laboratory and field evaluation of virulence to
target pests; laboratory and field evaluation for
host specificity; study on the mode of action;
research on mass production protocols;
research on formulation and use; research on
enhancing effective use through genetic
engineering; and research on product
development for commercialization.
 Velasco et al. (1997) estimated that the
Philippines is about 10-15 years behind
biocontrol R&D. While other countries
are already into commercialization,
limited efforts in the country have been
unsystematic and have been largely
concentrated on field
collection and screening of microbial
biocon agents.
Acknowledgement for the sources of
Information

Lecture Materials :
 Dr. Pio Javier – CPC Cluster, NCPC,
UPLB
 Dr. Rizaldo Bayot – CPC Cluster, UPLB

 Dr. Christian Cumagun –CPC Cluster,

UPLB
THANK YOU!!!