Efficacy and Economic Assessment of Commercial Beauveria bassiana in Managing Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) Insect Pests in a Derived Savanna Agroecosystem

Caroline Oyindamola Filani; Busola Ajoke Oguniyi; Olufemi Richard  PITAN

doi:10.14720/aas.2025.121.3.21587

Authors

Caroline Oyindamola FILANI Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, College of Plant Science and Crop Production, Department of Crop Protection, Ogun State, Nigeria. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0264-331X
Busola Ajoke OGUNIYI Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, College of Plant Science and Crop Production, Department of Crop Protection, Ogun State, Nigeria. https://orcid.org/0009-0009-8823-6440
Olufemi Richard PITAN Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, College of Plant Science and Crop Production, Department of Crop Protection, Ogun State, Nigeria.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14720/aas.2025.121.3.21587

Keywords:

Beauveria bassiana, fruit damage, insect pest infestation, cucumber, application rate, application frequency, economic assessment, derived savanna

Abstract

A study was conducted in 2021 and 2022 planting seasons to determine the effective and profitable optimum rate and frequency of Beauvaria bassiana application for managing insect pests on cucumber crop. Beauvaria application produced significantly lower densities of insect pests compared to the untreated plots. Although leaf and fruit damage were statistically similar in the treated plots, the values were lower than the untreated plots. Significantly higher fruit yield (14.43 tons ha^-1 and 13.44 tons ha^-1) was obtained when Beauvaria was applied at 8 kg ha^-1once-a-week relative to the control 2.26 tons ha^-1 and 2.34 tons ha^-1, 2021 and 2022, respectively, resulting in a corresponding increase of 84 % and 83 % over the control. The relationship between insect pest infestation and yield was negative and significant (r = -0.90 and r = -0.80). In addition, the highest profitability index of 1.00 was obtained when Beauveria was applied at 8 kg ha^-1 once-a-week in both years.

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Author Biographies

Caroline Oyindamola FILANI, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, College of Plant Science and Crop Production, Department of Crop Protection, Ogun State, Nigeria.

Caroline Oyindamola is a Senior lecturer in the Department of Crop Protection, College of Plant Science and Crop Production, Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria.
Busola Ajoke OGUNIYI, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, College of Plant Science and Crop Production, Department of Crop Protection, Ogun State, Nigeria.

Busola Ajoke Oguniyi is a Research Assistant in the Department of Crop Protection, College of Plant Science and Crop Production, Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria.

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