SUMMARY In the 1989/90 soybean season, two experiments were carried out in Cruz Alta, state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, aiming to evaluate the efficiency of formulated Baculovirus anticarsia of different origins in the control of the soybean caterpillar, Anticarsia gemmatalis. The experimental design was of complete randomized blocks, with eight treatments and four replicates. Each experimental plot measured 6m x 10m . A border of 10m and 5m was left between the plots and the blocks, respectively, with the purpose of avoiding contamination. The virus was applied with a costal CO2 precision sprayer equipped with JD 10-1 conic nozzles, working at a pression of 601b/ pol² and delivering 115 liters per hectare. At the time of application the soybean plants, cultivar CEP 16-Timbó, were in the growing stage V9 and with 0.7m of height. The number of alive caterpillars was obtained through the ground cloth (3 beats/plot) at 0, 4, 7, 10 and 12 days after the application (DAA). Evaluations also included the number of dead caterpillars at 7, 10, 12 and 15 DAA, the defoliation at 15 and 30 DAA, and the grain yield (9m²/plot). The analysis of the results showed that the powder wettable formulations from EMBRAPA, OCEPAR and GERB 00889-GERATEC, all at 10g/ha, were efficient in controlling A. gemmatalis, with mean yield showing statistical equivalence to the standards (virus extracted from caterpillars at 50 larval equivalents/ ha) and the chemical insecticide profenofos at 100g a.i./ha). On the other hand, the powder formulation from BIO SUR-ARGENTINA, at 1.4 and 2.8g/ha, and the liquid formulation from AGROGGEN (Multigen) at 14.4 and 28.8ml/ ha, were not efficient in controlling the pest, with resulting yields being similar to that of the untreated check plots.
Baculovirus anticarsia; Anticarsia gemmatalis; microbiol insecticide; soybean
