TITLE:
New Beauveria bassiana Strains from Kyrgyzstan with Endophytic and Insecticidal Activities
AUTHORS:
Tinatin Doolotkeldieva, Elita Ismailova
KEYWORDS:
Entomopathogenic Fungus, Bioinsecticide, Bioinoculant, Biocontrol
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Microbiology,
Vol.14 No.10,
October
15,
2024
ABSTRACT: Beauveria bassiana (Ascomycota: Cordycipitaceae) is an entomopathogenic fungus used as an ecofriendly insecticide to infect arthropods. B. bassiana also possesses endophytic activity to contribute to plant growth. This study aimed to evaluate the potential insecticidal and endophytic activity of native B. bassiana isolates. The nymphal and adult stages of the apple tree aphid (Aphis pomi) and whitefly (Trialeurodes vaporariorum) were used as targets in bioinsecticidal experiments, and vegetables (beans, tomatoes and cucumbers) were used as targets in biostimulant experiments. The endophytic activity of the B. bassiana strains was assessed after inoculation them to the crop seeds and plants via soil drenching, foliar spraying and seed immersion. In bean plants, seed immersion was the most effective application method. Soil drenching was more effective in the cucumber and tomato plants. The results of in vitro bioassay tests against pests have revealed the LC50 and LT50 values of B. bassiana isolate Col-2. The LC50 of this isolate for A. pomi adults and nymphs was 2.5 × 106 conidia/mL−1; for T. vaporariorum, it was lower 1.8 × 106 conidia/mL−1. Such mortality occurred after 55.49 h. in A. pomi adults and nymphs (LT50), after 62.3 h. in T. vaporariorum (LT50).