Eco-Bb® is a biological insecticide registered for the suppression of a range of agricultural pests. Eco-Bb® is a wettable powder formulation of the beneficial fungus Beauveria bassiana and forms part of Andermatt Madumbi’s Biomanagement range. Eco-Bb® is steadily being included in more and more IPM programs, achieving consistently good results.
We asked our Andermatt Madumbi team of experts to each highlight a key factor and benefit of this locally developed and manufactured biological.
1. Unique powder formulation – Sias Leipoldt
Product formulation is a key component of any pesticide and a good, well-researched formulation can add to the efficacy and success of a biological product. This is the case with Eco-Bb®’s unique wettable powder formulation. The Beauveria bassiana spores are oil-coated which prevents them from drying out, increases the spore’s UV tolerance and enhances penetration and infection of the target pest. Sedimentation of the spores in many liquid formulations can become a challenge, however, this is not the case with the wettable powder formulation used in Eco-Bb®.
2. The quorum effect – Mark Hutton
Inside the oil droplets are several Eco-Bb® spores. When this oil droplet comes into contact with the waxy layer on the insect cuticle it adheres to it. This leaves the spores concentrated at the point of contact on the insect, enhancing the penetration of the spores (known as the quorum effect). This concentration of spores makes Eco-Bb® effective and efficient.
3. Broad-spectrum insecticide – De Wet Steenkamp
Whereas the virus-based biological products are highly host-specific, Eco-Bb® is effective on a wide range of insects including woolly whitefly, red spider mite, false codling moth, Tuta absoluta and woolly whitefly. Despite its broad efficacy range, Eco-Bb® has been proven to have no negative impact on many common beneficial insects.
4. Easily included in IPM programs – Helgard van Rooyen
Eco-Bb® is perfect for inclusion in IPM programs. Eco-Bb® has a comprehensive compatibility list and can be tank mixed with a wide range of commonly used pest and nutrition products. Madumbi offers a compatibility testing service which takes the ‘guess work’ out of compatibility and ensures growers can confidently build IPM programs that work.
5. Diverse application strategies based on Eco-Bb® being effective on all life stages – Dr Brendon Neumann
Possibly Eco-Bb®’s greatest feature is its ability to control all life stages of target insects including eggs, larvae/nymphs, adults and pupae. Many insecticide products (both biological and chemical) target specific life stages. Most commonly these are the larval or adult stages. Targeting multiple stages within a pest’s lifecycle is more likely to deliver lasting results. Using Eco-Bb® to target eggs or pupae while simultaneously using viruses or Bt products to target larvae is one such example which has been used with good success in the field.
6. No withholding period! – Wilma Mac Pherson
In the world today, time is money. Eco-Bb® contains no chemicals with minimum withholding periods. It can be applied to crops, with harvesting commencing immediately afterwards. This makes using products like Eco-Bb® extremely valuable. Planning around application timing and harvesting dates of specific blocks or orchards is much less complicated. It also eliminates the risk of harvesting produce that may still contain unacceptable residue levels, which may otherwise lead to rejections at the markets.
Eco-Bb® contains Beauveria bassiana. Reg. No. L8469, Act No. 36 of 1947. Andermatt PHP (Pty) Ltd, PO Box 207, Nottingham Road, 3280. Reg. No. 2003/007987/07.