Synergistic effects of three cabbage plant species and Beauveria bassiana on some growth, nutritional indices and enzymatic activity of diamondback moth

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran

2 Department of Plant Protection Department, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

The diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), is a major pest of Brassicaceae worldwide. In this study, the effect of sublethal concentration LC20 of Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin on P. xylostella larvae feeding on Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa subsp. pekinensis), savoy cabbage (B. oleracea var. capitata) and red cabbage (B. oleracea var. capitata f. rubra) was evaluated. Rearing was carried out at 25 ± 1 °C, relative humidity of 60 ± 5% and a photoperiod of 16 hours light: 8 hours dark. The LC20 was obtained by examining the effect of five concentrations of 104, 105, 106, 107 and 108 conidia/ml. The results indicated a dose-dependent toxicity of pathogenic fungus on third instar larvae. Larvae infected with sublethal concentrations of B. bassiana (1.34 × 104 conidia/ml) exhibited prolonged development, reduced survival rates and shorter adult longevity, and lower fecundity compared to the control. Also, a decrease in nutritional indices including efficiency of conversion of ingested food (ECI%), efficiency of conversion of digested food (ECD%), relative consumption rate (RCR), relative growth rate (RGR), approximate digestibility (AD%) and a decrease in digestive enzyme activity (amylase and protease) were observed in these treatments. The most severe pathogenicity was observed in larvae that were fed red cabbage, which exhibited the lowest growth performance, nutritional indices, and enzyme activity when infected with B. bassiana. Overall, Chinese cabbage proved to be the most appropriate host while red cabbage was the least suitable host for larval development. These results provide information for selecting appropriate integrated management strategies for the diamondback moth.

Keywords

References

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Plant Pest Research
Volume 15, Issue 2
September 2025
Pages 13-29

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  • Receive Date: 09 June 2025
  • Revise Date: 14 August 2025
  • Accept Date: 19 August 2025

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