Two are better than one: the combinations of Beauveria bassiana, diatomaceous earth, and indoxacarb as effective wheat protectants

The current study evaluates the efficacy of the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo-Crivelli) Vuillemin (Hypocreales: Cordycipitaceae), diatomaceous earth (DE) (Protect-It), and the oxadiazine indoxacarb, at single or combined applications on wheat kernels, for the management of the rusty grain beetle, Cryptolestes ferrugineus (Stephens) (Coleoptera: Laemophloeidae), the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), the khapra beetle, Trogoderma granarium Everts (Coleoptera: Dermestidae), and the lesser grain borer, Rhyzopertha dominica (F.) (Coleoptera: Bostrychidae). The study was conducted between November 2020 and August 2021 in Faisalabad under a complete randomized block design. The combination of DE + indoxacarb was the most efficient as it caused higher overall mortalities ranging between 59.34 and 100%, and lower overall progeny production ranging between 8.35 and 33.70 individuals per vial, than all other treatments. Beauveria bassiana alone exhibited the lowest mortality rates ranging between 22.33 and 47.76%, and the highest offspring emergence, ranging between 51.33 and 78.55 individuals per vial. Similar pattern was observed when persistence bioassays were conducted. For a period of 120 days, the DE + indoxacarb was the most powerful combination against all tested species, providing overall mortality rates between 17.06 and 63.80%. The overall progeny production was lower for the insect individuals exposed on wheat treated with the DE + indoxacarb combination, ranging between 13.66 and 52.23 individuals per vial, and higher for those exposed to B. bassiana alone, ranging between 44.03 and 107.67 individuals per vial, for the entire duration of storage. However, the efficacy of all treatments decreased gradually during the course of storage. The findings of the current study indicate that the combinations of entomopathogenic fungi, DE, and indoxacarb can be used for the prolonged protection of stored wheat from the tested noxious insect species of stored products. Further research, which will include other inert dusts in combination with entomopathogenic fungi and indoxacarb, may provide additional knowledge towards an effective management of noxious species occurring in storages.