Mineral Oil as a Tool in Integrated Pest Management of Potato

Mineral oil is an organic petroleum-based pesticide which has a variety of uses in pest management. It has been used as an insecticide in several crops, primarily against small, soft-bodied insects. It is also used as a synergist to increase efficacy of the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana. In potato, mineral oil is used to reduce spread of Potato Virus Y (PVY). Despite this use, its effects on insect potato pests such as the Colorado potato beetle (CPB) have not been studied. In this study, several experiments were done to determine the lethal and sublethal effects of mineral oil on CPB. On its own, oil had several relatively small, but negative, effects on CPB. When sprayed on beetles in combination with B. bassiana, the oil significantly reduced life expectancy of infected beetles. Given these effects against CPB, as well as its use against PVY, mineral oil appears to be a good fit for potato IPM programs.

Faculty Mentor: Andrei Alyokhin