Environmental Entomology (1988) 17, 135-139

Greggory K. Storey and Wayne A. Gardner (1988)
Movement of an aqueous spray of Beauveria bassiana into the profile of four Georgia soils
Environmental Entomology 17 (1), 135-139
Abstract: Vertical movement of commercially formulated conidia of Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillimen was measured by recovery of colony-forming units (CFUs) at selected depths in four soil series after application of an aqueous suspension of conidia to soil surfaces. In greenhouse studies with soil blocks (40 by 20 by 20 cm) removed from field plots with a coring device, the number of CFUs recovered 72 h after application from depths below the surfaces was correlated (P = 0.0001) with water infiltration values of the respective soils. However, 95% of the total number of CFUs recovered in core samples of the Townley (29% sand, 32% clay, 39% silt), Greenville (64% sand, 28% clay, 8% silt), and Cecil series (59% sand, 22% clay, 19% silt) soils remained at the surfaces. In the Tifton series soil (87% sand, 5% clay, 8% silt), 87% of the total CFUs were recovered from the surface with an additional 9% recovered 4 cm below the surface. Core samples taken 2 h after application of an aqueous suspension of conidia to field plots also indicated that the four soils restricted vertical movement of the conidia. Greater than 94% of the total number of CFUs recovered in the cores were from the upper 5 cm of the profile of each soil series. At the 5-10 cm depth, 0.7, 1.8, 3.3, and 4.4% of the total CFUs were recovered from the Cecil, Greenville, Tifton, and Townley series soils, respectively. Only small percentages of total CFUs were recovered from the 10-15 cm profile of each soil. Retention of conidia in the upper profile of these soils appears to be caused by mechanical filtration within the soil structure.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
environment/habitat manipulation
non-target effects/fate in environm.

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
Beauveria bassiana (entomopathogen)			U.S.A. (SE)