Biological Pesticides for Flower Pest and Disease Control and Fertilization Techniques for Edible Fungi

Biological pesticides generally refer to agents that use living organisms to control pests and diseases. They have the characteristics of leaving no residue, causing no pollution, and not contaminating the environment, and they act specifically on the relevant disease and pest species. At present, the most widely recognized and applied types both domestically and internationally include bacterial, antibiotic, insect hormone, entomopathogenic nematode, and insect virus types.

Controlling Flower Leaf-eating Pests

I. Insect growth regulators. The diflubenzuron series of insecticides are new insect growth regulators. Their insecticidal mechanism is to inhibit chitin synthesis in the insect epidermis. Diflubenzuron compounds are mainly stomach poisons, but they can also penetrate the insect epidermis to take effect. This product has the advantages of good control efficacy, long residual effect, low control cost, resistance to rain washing, difficulty for pests to develop resistance, and safety to flower plants, humans, livestock, and the environment.

II. Bacterial pesticide - Bt emulsion. Bt emulsion is a microbial pesticide of Bacillus thuringiensis, belonging to the Bacillus bacterial insecticide category. Its main insecticidal component is the parasporal crystal. This agent has now become a major biological insecticide widely used in countries around the world. The pathogenic mechanism of Bt emulsion is that Bt insecticidal toxin causes lesions in the pest's digestive tract, leading to death. After leaf-eating pests eat leaves carrying Bt emulsion, they become paralyzed, stop feeding, respond slowly, and develop diarrhea, after which black rings appear on the abdomen and gradually spread over the whole body, ultimately causing death by poisoning. After death, the pests turn into black soft bodies, rot, hang upside down, or die on leaves and branches. Bt preparations have pathogenic and toxic effects on many Lepidoptera larvae and leafhoppers, such as fruit borers, yellow slugs, and inchworm moths, and are mainly used to control the larvae of Lepidoptera pests.

III. Botanical pesticides, mainly including the following four types.

1% nicotine·matrine·vegetable oil: a multi-component Chinese herbal plant emulsifiable concentrate insecticide. It can also quickly kill insects prone to resistance, and has the characteristics of good degradation, no residual toxicity, safe use, no pollution, and no environmental contamination. It also stimulates the growth of flowers.

Baicao No. 1 (0.6% matrine·lactone aqueous solution): made from various plants and Chinese herbal medicines such as Cynanchum komarovii and Sophora alopecuroides through crushing, dissolving, and adding adjuvants and penetrants. Its mechanism of action is mainly contact poisoning, supplemented by stomach poisoning. It promotes flower growth and can be used to control various aphids and leaf-eating pests on flowers.

Baichongsha (1.2% nicotine·matrine emulsifiable concentrate): belongs to botanical pesticides. Its active ingredients are nicotine and matrine, and it has stomach poisoning, contact poisoning, and fumigant effects on insects. It is low in toxicity to humans and livestock, causes no environmental pollution, and causes no phytotoxicity to flowers.

Shuguojing (0.5% toosendanin emulsifiable concentrate): belongs to botanical pesticides. This agent is efficient, safe, low in toxicity, and low in residue, and will not cause phytotoxicity to flowers. It also has stomach poisoning, contact poisoning, and a certain antifeedant effect.

Controlling Flower Sap-sucking Pests

I. Fungal pesticides, mainly aphid-killing fungus.

Aphid-killing fungus is a new fungal biological pesticide. Its main insecticidal component is an ester-soluble sterol compound. It has low toxicity, quickly knocks down aphids, and also kills spider mites, without harming beneficial insects such as green lacewings and ladybugs. It also promotes flower growth.

II. Antibiotic series pesticides.

Abamectin (1.8%, 0.9%): Abamectin is also called Aifuding. Its active ingredient is avermectin, and it is now widely used both domestically and internationally. It can effectively control many plant-feeding mites and other pests that are insensitive to commonly used pesticides or have developed resistance, such as red spider mites, leafminers, slug moths, inchworms, tussock moths, and psyllids, which are leaf-eating and sap-sucking flower pests. It has stomach poisoning and contact poisoning effects on mites and other pests. Compared with chemical pesticides, after use, predatory and parasitic beneficial insects recover quickly, which is conducive to ecological balance. This agent readily decomposes when exposed to oxygen and light, leaves no residue, and is beneficial to humans, livestock, and flower plants.

Liuyangmycin (10% aqueous preparation): an acaricide, a new type of antibiotic agent.

Huaguangmycin (2.5% powder preparation): a new type of antibiotic acaricide. This agent does not pollute the environment, leaves no residue in air or soil, and protects beneficial insects.

III. Botanical pesticides, mainly Huweiniao (0.5% veratridine alcohol). It is a botanical pesticide with veratridine alcohol solution as the main raw material. It is most effective against various aphids, especially aphids prone to resistance, and also has a certain effect on spider mites.