Aphodius, more popularly known as bean leaf beetles because of its characteristic bright yellow to reddish color with black spots, are sly crop pests particularly for legumes especially soybeans. These pests can have a devastating effect by feeding on the foliage, pod and stems and there is possible loss in yield and quality. For a home gardener like me or a farmer with a large scale farm, it is very essential to learn about the methods to avoid the beetle from damaging the beans. Read through the following guidelines to assist you in protecting your plants from these hard to control insects.
1. Regular Monitoring
Closely monitoring your crops is the first step in managing the bean leaf beetles.
Screening for bean leaf beetles is the most important control measure you should take. This can enable one to avoid jeopardizing their crops through severe infestations that can be easily controlled through early detection. Inspect the lower surface of leaves for eggs and larvae or look for visible signs of consumption by this pest which is the holes and defoliation of leaves. This way it allows for monitoring and controlling the situation to ensure that you act on time as much as possible to reduce the impact.
2. Crop Rotation
Cultural control involves changing the growth pattern of crops since this interferes with the lifecycle of bean leaf beetles. Do not let the legumes grow in the same spot every year as this can lead to the depletion of important nutrients within the soil. However, it is advisable to rotate with other varieties that do not play host to the pest such as corn or cereals. This also minimizes its breeding space and environment for beetles, and this has caused the reduction in the number of beetles.
3. Use of Resistant Varieties
One of the effective ways of developing the best biocontrol technique is to grow bean varieties that are less sensitive or sensitive to bean leaf beetles. Select strains that have a proven record of pest tolerance to reduce the need for pesticides in your farm. These plants withstand the beetle impact and feeding damage better than the non-resistant plant tissues or plant organs.
4. Biological Control
When it comes to controlling bean leaf beetles, gardeners and farmers are not left in the cold because Beauveria bassiana and Bacillus thuringiensis are available in biological control of bean leaf beetles. Take a closer glance at these products below and see how they would come handy in controlling bean leaf beetles.
Beauveria bassiana
Beauveria bassiana is a bio-entomopathogenic fungus that is disseminated in the environment and fulfills its role of an insect bio-pesticide. Here’s how it works and its benefits:
How It Works
-Infection Process: When spores of Beauveria bassiana come into contact with the external layer of a bean leaf beetle, they dry up and having entered the body of the insect, pierce its integuments. The fungus proceeds to grow within the beetle and releases toxic compounds once it reaches the stage where the beetle will die.
-Spread: The spores are then produced by the dead body of the host after being killed, these new spores germinate and make new beetles infect and hence the cycle of pest control continues.
Benefits
-Selective Targeting: Similarly, Beauveria bassiana is selective in its action as it affects only insect pests without any lethal effect on other beneficial insects, other be animals and humans.
-Environmental Safety: Lectures also mentioned that it is biodegradable because it is a natural organism and does not pollute the environment or leave toxic substances behind.
-Integrated Pest Management: It can also be used in conjunction with other pesticidal approaches, and improves their overall efficiency without contributing to the creation of resistance.
Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)
It is a naturally occurring soil bacterium that acts a bug killer and serves as effective bacillus thuringiensis pesticide; bean leaf beetles are among the insect pests that are controlled by Bt toxins. Here’s an overview of its function and advantages:
How It Works
-Toxin Production: Bt synthesizes crystal proteins (Cry toxins), which are toxic to target insects if the insect consumes it. These toxins interact with receptors on the cell membranes of specific target tissues of insects, particularly those of the gut where they elicit cell damaging effects that result in gut paralysis and consequently, death to the insect.
-Mode of Action: As Bt, it means it is only effective when consumed by the pest, which makes it obligatory to use the product most likely to be taken by beetles in this case, wherever they feed on.
Benefits
-Target Specificity: Bt is very selective in its action against specific insect larvae, thus having very little effect on other organisms like humans, our pets and other useful insects.
-Resistance Management: Employment of Bt in IPM assists in overcoming the problem of resistance by pests to the biocontrol agent.
-Environmentally Friendly: Also, like in the case of Beauveria bassiana, Bt is a biopesticide that degrades naturally and does not have any toxic remnants.
Conclusion
Generally, Using Beauveria bassiana insecticide and Bacillus thuringiensis pesticide are effective methods of controlling bean leaf beetles as they are non-chemical, organic methods that gardeners and farmers prefer. Thus, applying the mentioned biological control agents to your pest control you are able to minimize beetle damage and affect the balance of your garden or farm. More information about these products may be obtained from the links or via the help of agricultural specialists.