Yılmaz M., Akköprü E. P., Yeşilova A., Akköprü A.
CROP PROTECTION AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PEST, DISEASE & WEED CONTROL, cilt.210, ss.107796, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
Özet
The bean aphid, Aphis fabae Scopoli (Hemiptera: Aphididae), is a globally important pest, particularly of leguminous crops such as common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). In sustainable pest management strategies, endophytic bacteria (EB) have gained attention as promising biocontrol agents due to their dual capacity to enhance plant vigour and suppress pest populations. This study evaluated the effects of selected EB isolates on the biological performance of A. fabae and the growth dynamics of P. vulgaris under controlled environmental conditions. The EB isolates were applied using two distinct methods: soil drenching and foliar spraying. Aphid life history traits were analyzed using the age-stage, two-sex life table approach. By using the drenching method, isolates G109K2 and G118K1T exhibited the lowest values for r (0.0110 and 0.0156 day−1), R0 (1.180 and 1.250 offspring/female), and λ (1.0111 and 1.0157 day−1), accompanied by prolonged generation times (T: 14.94 and 14.35 days, respectively). Several isolates significantly reduced aphid population growth parameters in both application methods, while G118K1T, T2K2, and V33K1 notably enhanced plant growth metrics compared with the untreated control. These results demonstrate the dual role of EB in promoting host plant growth and impairing pest development, supporting their potential integration into integrated pest management programs.