Beauveria bassiana has been used as an insecticide and fungicide for several years in the organic industry. It was researched heavily by ISU entomologists a decade or two ago after it was found living inside corn plants where it has parasitizeed corn borer larvae for years.
The developer, Dr. Jim Ahrens, has a PhD in parasitology from Oklahoma State University and is an adjunct professor at North Carolina State University. He was originally from Ackley, Iowa.
In our conversations I told Dr. Ahrens of our need for a product to control insects like soybean gall midge and potentially dectes stem borer.
Dr. Ahrens has recently expanded his fermentation capacity and thus will be producing a non-organic formula at a cost less than half of what the organic version costs.
Central Iowa Agronomy and Supply will be offering Beauveria bassiana for seed treatment on soybeans this spring.
For additional information read this flier on Beauveria bassiana.
Contact us for more information.