Efficacy of Ami Verticillium lecanii Against Aphids and Whitefly in Cotton: A Comparative Study Under Laboratory and Field Conditions

Cotton (Gossypium spp.), a vital crop in India, faces significant yield losses due to pest infestations, especially from whiteflies (Bemisia tabaci) and aphids (Myzus persicae).The extensive use of chemical pesticides caused concerns about their environmental and human health consequences, leading to a variety of alternative pest-control approaches.Laboratory studies demonstrated that both filtrate and conidia formulations of V. lecanii were effective in causing mortality in both pests, with the filtrate formulation showing higher mortality rates.After 3 days, the filtrate caused 39.28% aphid mortality and 33.75% whitefly mortality, while conidia resulted in 47.39% and 8.75%, respectively.At 6 days, the filtrate treatment resulted in a mortality rate of 72.02% for aphids and 88.75% for whiteflies.Field trials also demonstrated the potential of V. lecanii, with 39.12% aphid mortality at 5 days after spray (DAS), increasing to 52.17% by 10 DAS.Whitefly mortality in the field was 46.11% at 5 DAS, reaching 74.11% by 10 DAS.The control group showed much lower mortality rates.The results indicate that V. lecanii is a promising biocontrol agent for managing cotton aphids and whiteflies, providing a long-term alternative to conventional pesticides.