Entomofauna associated with soya bean culture (Glycine max (L.) MERRIL) (FABACEAE) in an organic system

Abstract

Natural enemies are of great importance for sustainable agriculture and may often replace or reduce the use of agrotoxic substances which are an important component of the ecologic management of plant diseases. The biological control of diseases is on the increase throughout the world and meets with international demands for less environmentally aggressive agricultural practices. Current research consists of a monitored organic soya bean culture which characterizes plagues, predator and parasitoid insects, as well as isolating, purifying and identifying entomopathogenic fungi which may be of use within a biological control program. Major plague insects were Anticarsia gemmatalis, Chrysodeixis includens, Agrotis ipsilon, Epinotia aporema, Lagria villosa, Diabrotica speciosa, Nezara veridula, Piezodorus guildini, Euchistus heros and Dysdercus sp. Reported predators were Cycloneda sanguinea, Podisus nigrispinus, Podisus connexivus, Callida sp., Geocoris sp., Nabis sp., Chrysoperla externa and Lebia concina. The parasitoids identified were Trissolcus basalis, Trichogramma pretiosum, Eutrichopodopsis nitens, Hexacladia smithii, Ophion flavidus, and Trichogramma atopovirilia. The fungi Nomureae rileyi and Beauveria bassiana were isolated and identified. Results show that soya bean crops grown in an organic system maintain an environment capable of supporting populations of insect pests, predators and parasitoids.