Entomopathogenic fungi for the management of whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) on gerbera (Gerbera jamesonii) in polyhouses

The experiment was carried out in polyhouse condition to study the potency of entomopathogenic fungi for the management of whiteflies on gerbera. Studies showed Beauveria bassiana and Lecanicillium lecanii to effect 70.81 and 85.65%and69.54 and84.90% mortality over control in the first and second trial respectively. M. anisopliae caused 77.86 and 74.35% mortality while spirotetramat caused 79.41 and 96.93% and buprofezin 72.67 and 99.95% mortality. The differences among the treatments were larger during the first 14 days, but decreased there after, becoming insignificant after the second spray. On14^th dayof seconds pray, the mortality caused by fungal pathogens was reduced to 23–45% while chemicals caused 31–49% and were significantly on par with each other. This study shows that entomopathogens can be components in an IPM under moderate levels of whitefly infestations on gerbera in polyhouses.