Terra Nostra Technology Limited has carried out field efficacy tests against the Colorado potato beetle using a new biological insecticide based on an entomopathogenic fungus, Beauveria bassiana, and is presently compiling the final results.

The Colorado potato beetle can almost completely destroy a potato field. This beetle is economically the most important pest of potato, tomato and eggplant in the word. A Colorado potato beetle invasion is so aggressive, that if the crop is left unprotected, this insect can diminish the yield from 35 tons per hectare to 1,7 tons per hectare; similar to a garden tomato harvest yielding 1 tomato instead of 36 tomatoes per season. In North America and Europe, 581 million $US are spent annually to control this pest.

In North America, the potato producers use enormous quantities of chemical pesticides to control this insect. In fact, they use 3 times more insecticides than the average use on other types of crops. The Colorado potato beetle, however, has rapidly developed a resistance to all variety of insecticides, which has led to an increase in the dosage used in the field. In addition to the many negative consequences on the environment, insecticides seriously reduce populations of the Colorado potato beetle's natural enemies. Therefore, biological alternatives, respectful to the environment, may offer efficient and lasting solutions. Application of the fungus, Beauveria bassiana, to control the Colorado potato beetle is an alternative for potato producers.

In collaboration with the researcher Bruno Belanger from the Research and Development Institute for the Agri-Environment (IRDA), our company has been conducted field efficacy tests at the IRDA's experimental farm in Deschambault, Quebec. The results of using two Beauveria bassiana strains against the Colorado potato beetle were measure up to a commonly used chemical insecticide and were comparable. Both strains reduced significantly the Colorado potato beetle population. However, one of these strains caused a nearly 15% higher insect pest mortality rate, compared to the other. Furthermore, this strain is indigenous and isolated by our Corporation. Our results indicated that this strain has great potential for the control of Colorado potato beetles because is highly pathogenic against the pest but not dangerous to other insects, plants, animals or human health. We selected this B. bassiana strain for the completion of the approval process. Our company is confident that will be able to market a B. bassiana fungal bioproduct in 2004.