Eco-friendly biopesticide of Beauveria bassiana to control sweet potato weevil Cylas formicarius (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

Cylas formicarius is a major pest of sweet potato in various countries, with yield losses reaching 100%. Control technology using chemical pesticides is not successful. This study aims to examine the efficacy of the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana compared to chemical pesticides against C. formicarius, which was conducted in Lumajang Regency, East Java, from May to September 2021. The results showed that the highest tuber productivity occurred in innovative technology, reaching 43 t/ha with only 1% tuber damage. While the productivity of the existing technology is only 20 t/ha with a tuber damage rate of 21%. The advantages of innovative technology can also be seen in the abundance of both predatory an parasitoid insects. The application of B. bassiana to control the tuber borer at the base of the stem is safer for the survival of useful insects, especially predators, and parasitoids. In addition, the tubers obtained are more organic, so the selling price of these commodities is more expensive than conventional ones. The entomopathogenic fungus B. bassiana has a great opportunity to be used as a potential biopesticide candidate to be developed as a technological innovation to replace the efficacy of chemical pesticides.