Bio Control Agents

Bio-control is a method of controlling disease, pathogenic micro- organisms and weeds using another organisms, which is antagonistic to that particular organism. Several fungi, bacteria and viruses act as bio-control agents or bio-agents, which have the potential to attack certain specific fungal or bacterial pathogens and insect pests of crop plants. The bio-agents themselves are non-pathogenic to plants, animals and men.

1. Verti Green (Verticillium Lecanii)

A fungal bio control agent against soft bodied pests

Verticillium can be used to control soft bodied pests causing damages in crops like tea, coffee, cardamom, clove, banana, grapes, citrus, vegetables, beetlevine, potato, floriculture crops, paddy etc. Verticillium is formulated as wettable powder or liquid formulation containing a minimum of 2 X 10⁸ viable Verticillium spores per gram of carrier material. This fungi invades insects by penetrating their cuticle or skin and rapidly multiplies throughout the body causing death of insects caused by tissue destruction and effect of toxins. Even after the death of the insects this strain of fungi multiply on the dead insect. Thus pave way for establishing fungal population in the field and prevent further attack of the pests and the population of insect is maintained under control.

Application Methodology

Spraying 2 to 4% water solution on the upper and lower side of affected plants in three days interval for 3 to 4 times will bring the insect population under the economic threshold level.

Target pests - Aphids, Jassids, Thirps, White flies, Mites, Mealy Bugs, Scale insects, Leaf webber, Green semi lopper, Flower webber, Leaf minors, Leaf hoppers, Pod fly etc.

2. Beab Green (Beauveria Bassiana)

A fungal bio control agent against soft bodied insect pests

Beab Green contains Beauveria bassiana , a fungus that grows naturally in soil causing white muscardine disease to insect pests. This entomopathogenic fungus controls Beetles,Thirps, white flies, Aphids and Termites. Beab Green is very much effective against hard bodied insect pests. When the fungus come in to contact with the body of the insect host they germinate and the hyphae penetrate the insect’s body. The fungus develops inside the insect’s body within a few day causing death to the insect. After the death of the insect. the fungi multiply within the dead body of the host and their spores establish other insect population in the field. This will helps to maintain the population of insect pests well below the economic threshold level within a short period. Beab green is formulated as wettable powder or liquid formulation containing a minimum of 2 X 10⁸ beauveria spores.

Application Methodology

Spraying 2 to 4% water solution on the upper and lower side of affected plants in three days interval will bring the insect population under control.

Target pests - Beetles, Termites, Aphids, Jassids, Thirps, White flies, Mites, Mealy Bugs, Scale insects, Leaf webber, Green semi lopper, Flower webber, Leaf minors, Leaf hoppers, Pod fly etc.

3. Met Green (Metarhizium Anisopliae)

A fungal bio control agent against soft bodied insect pests

Met Green is a bio control agent containing Metarhizium anisopliae, an entomopathogenic fungus that grows naturally through out the world and causes diseases in more than 200 different insect specieses. The disease caused by the fungus is called green muscardine disease. When the fungus come in contact with the body of an insect host they germinate and the hyphae of the fungus penetrate the host’s body. The fungus develops inside the body of the insects and eventually kill the insect within few days. After the death of the insects the fungi multiply and their spores establish other insect population in the field and maintain their population under control.

Application Methodology

Spraying 2 to 4% water solution on the upper and lower side of affected plants in three days interval will bring the insect population under the economic threshold limit.

Target pests - Termites, Aphids, Jassids, Thirps, White flies, Mites, Mealy Bugs, Scale insects, Leaf webber, Green semi lopper, Flower webber, Leaf minors, Leaf hoppers, Pod fly etc.

4. Tricho Green ™ (Trichoderma Viride & Trichoderma Harzianum)

A Broad Spectrum fungal Bio Control agents

Tricho Green™ (Trichoderma viride and Trichoderma harzianum) are such group of antagonistic fungal or bio-agents that are capable of combating a number of fungal diseases of crop plants. It is soil borne free living (living on dead organic matter) fungal agent that grows abundantly and produces millions of minute green coloured spores. These highly virulent broad - spectrum bio agents are formulated as wettable powder or liquid formulation containing a minimum of 2 X 10 ⁸ viable Trichoderma spores per gram of carrier material. Tricho green™ can be used against soil borne fungal pathogens like fusarium, phytopthora, rhizoctonia, pythium etc., which causes plant diseases like wilt, damping off, vascular wilt, root rot, rhizome rot and vine wilt in crops viz. pepper (quick wilt disease), cardamom, Ginger (azhukal and rhizome rot diseases), clove, banana, grapes, citrus, vegetables, tea, coffee, tuber crops like potato, floriculture crops, etc.

Application Methodology

Nursery	3 – 4 kg/ha or 800 – 1000 ml/ha
Main field	3-4 kg/ha, or 800 - 1000ml/ha
Seed treatment	300gm or 100ml/kg of seeds.
Seedling treatment	Mix 20 to 30 gms or 5ml in 1 litre water and soak the seedlings in the solution for 30 minutes before transplanting.
Pit treatment	Make 3 to 4 pits around the plant and pour 10gm or 4 ml/pit.
Fertigation	1 Ltr liquid formulation in 100 Ltr of water.

5. Pseumo Green ™
Pseudomonas Fluorescens

A Bacterial, Bio control Agent and growth promoter

Pseumo green™ (Pseudomonas fluorescens) is a broad spectrum Rhizobacterium that performs as a bio control agent and plant growth promoter. This bacterium controls pathogens by means of competition, hypherparasitism, antibiosis and induced systemic resistance. This product is formulated as wettable powder or as liquid formulation containing a minimum of 2 X 10 ⁸ viable cells of Pseudomonas fluorescens. This can be used to control Panama wilt in banana, Damping off in vegetable, stem rot in groundnut, white leaf, spot disease in Amaranthus, fungal and bacterial diseases of Paddy and other cereals, Cardamom, Coffee, Tea and other crops. This is particularly effective against sheath blight and leaf spot in Paddy. Pseudomonas fluorescens also improves plant growth through the release of growth promoters – IAA, Gibberellins and .It increases the soil fertility by solubilizing unavailable phosphorus and other micro nutrients.

Application Methodology

Nursery	3 - 4 kg/ha or 800 – 1000 ml/ha
Main field	3 - 4 kg/ha, or 800 - 1000ml/ha
Seed treatment	300gm or 100ml/kg of seeds.
Seedling treatment	Mix in 20 to 30 gms or 5ml in 1 litre water and soak the seedlings in the solution for 30 minutes before transplanting.
Pit treatment	Make 3 to 4 pits Around the plant and pour 10gm or 4 ml/pit.
Fertigation	1 Ltr liquid formulation in 100 Ltr of water.