Biological control of Bemisia tabaci gennadius by using entomopathogenic fungi Aschersonia aleyrodis

Bemisia tabaci is the main pest of many food crops, plantations, and horticulture. This pest plays an important role as a vector of various types of viruses. This research was aim to study the efficacy of biological control of B. tabaci on soybean by using entomopathogenic fungi Aschersonia aleyrodis. The experiment was conducted in the screen house and laboratory of biopesticide, Indonesian Legumes and Tuber Crops Research Institute in 2018. The experiment consists of; the evaluation of LD50 and LT50 of A. aleyrodis fungi on nymph and adult stage, pathogenicity of A. aleyrodis on various stages of B. tabaci, the impact of A. aleyrodis fungi infection to B. tabaci life cycle, and persistence of A. aleyrodis on soybean. The result showed that LD50 of A. aleyrodis for controlling B. tabaci was used conidia density 106/mL−1 with LT50 three days after inoculation. A. aleyrodis strain Aa-J18 obtained from B. tabaci was very pathogenic because it can kill nymph and adult of B. tabaci with the mortality up to 99%. Application of A. aleyrodis causing a decrease in fecundity of B. tabaci up to 83,84%, thwart egg hatching up to 96,78%, delayed egg hatching period up to three days, and shorten the period of a female adult up to 82,92%. Conidia suspension of A. aleyrodis that applied on the soybean surface in the afternoon was able to survive until the fifth week. Therefore, A. aleyrodis strain Aa-J18 has the opportunity to be used as a biological agent for controlling B. tabaci on soybean and potentially be used as an alternative to replacing chemical insecticide.