Scientists have identified a pathogenic fungus naturally preying on eucalyptus snout beetles that shows promise as an affordable, eco-friendly biopesticide to protect eucalyptus plantations from the voracious pests.
Characterization studies confirm the fungus’ insecticidal efficacy and durability, positioning it for mass production to sustainably manage beetle outbreaks threatening vast swaths of eucalyptus forests grown for paper pulp and timber.
Voracious Pest
The eucalyptus snout beetle (Gonipterus platensis), native to Australia but now globally invasive, represents an enormous threat to eucalyptus crops.
The beetles damage trees by aggressively feeding on leaves, buds, and shoots – stunting growth and depriving plants of photosynthesis. Severe outbreaks can entirely defoliate forests.
Unchecked infestations have exhibited explosive impact. A 1998 Colombian outbreak spread across 1,150 square kilometers in a single year, expanding its range 160 km annually. Losses reached 100% leaf area with up to 86% less harvestable wood volume.
Need for Sustainable Controls
Chemical insecticides offer only temporary control but jeopardize environmental and human health. Introduction of specialized tiny wasps as natural predators has succeeded but depends on expensive ongoing releases.
Seeking an organic, self-perpetuating method, researchers focused on entomopathogenic fungi that penetrate insect cuticles to invade tissue and release toxins – a common natural balancer of pest populations.
Studying infected beetles revealed two fungi genera – Beauveria and Metarhizium – with strains demonstrating both contact and ingestion lethality necessary for an effective biopesticide.
Optimizing a Fungi Bio-Pesticide
Selecting the Beauveria pseudobassiana strain based on its strength, adaptability and resilience, scientists further enhanced its properties to produce a optimized fungi-based commercial biopesticide product called Bpbm Eco-Vida.
The process involved confirming its ideal mode of action, screening for UV radiation tolerance and genetic stability across generations – necessary for reliable long-term field control after spraying.
Bpbm Eco-Vida achieved 100% beetle mortality in trials, also exhibiting favorable traits like shelf-life retention in storage and feasibility for economic mass production.
A Sustainable Integrated Pest Management Tool
With over 20 million hectares of eucalyptus planted globally, primarily for paper and wood pulp feedstock, sustainable solutions to curb its most threatening insect pest are essential.
The Bpbm Eco-Vida biopesticide harnesses nature’s own defense mechanisms against beetles in a self-perpetuating, ecosystem-friendly form with longevity advantages over short-term synthetic chemicals or costly introduced wasps.
Combined with vigilant monitoring, sanitation and cultural controls like trap trees, the fungi offers forest managers an affordable biological weapon for integrated pest management ensuring eucalyptus crop protection into the future.
Its successful development from forest floor discovery to optimized commercial product demonstrates how ecological principles can sustainably support essential forestry industries.