Entomopathogenic Action of Wild Fungal Strains against Stored Product Beetle Pests
There is ample evidence that entomopathogenic fungi can be used as alternative biological control agents for the management of insect pests in storage facilities. As the market demands more environmentally friendly methods and chemical insecticides become increasingly obsolete, more studies are bein...
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MDPI AG
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Insects |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/14/1/91 |
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| author | Spiridon Mantzoukas Ioannis Lagogiannis Foteini Kitsiou Panagiotis A. Eliopoulos |
| author_facet | Spiridon Mantzoukas Ioannis Lagogiannis Foteini Kitsiou Panagiotis A. Eliopoulos |
| author_sort | Spiridon Mantzoukas |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | There is ample evidence that entomopathogenic fungi can be used as alternative biological control agents for the management of insect pests in storage facilities. As the market demands more environmentally friendly methods and chemical insecticides become increasingly obsolete, more studies are being conducted to evaluate new strains of entomopathogenic fungi for their efficacy in storage facilities. In this context, we tested ten species of fungi isolated from soil, belonging to the genera <i>Cladosporium</i>, <i>Condenascus</i>, <i>Lecanicillium</i>, and <i>Penicillium</i>, for their long-term effects on economically important beetle species. Whole wheat was directly sprayed with a conidial suspension of 10<sup>8</sup> spores/Ml of each of the tested fungi and then adults of <i>Sitophilus granarius</i>, <i>S. oryzae</i>, <i>S. zeamais</i>, <i>Rhyzopertha dominica</i>, and <i>Trogoderma granarium</i> were placed on the sprayed medium to study the mortality effects. Significantly higher mortality than the control was observed in all treatments. The lowest LT<sub>50</sub> (9.164 days) was observed in <i>T. granarium</i> infected with <i>Penicillium goetzii</i>. The isolate with the strongest results was <i>L. dimorphum</i>, which recorded remarkably low LT<sub>50</sub> values in <i>S. oryzae</i> (~11 days), <i>R. dominica</i> (~12 days), <i>T. granarium</i> (~10 days), and <i>S. granarius</i> (~13 days). However, for <i>S. zeamais</i>, it was more than 16 days. Our results confirm the existing literature on the efficacy of EPF on storage beetles, suggest the possible virulence of wild untested strains, and also highlight the importance of EPF specificity. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T12:14:04Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a0de1063380e4f25947225396fc19ca5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-4450 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T12:14:04Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Insects |
| spelling | doaj.art-a0de1063380e4f25947225396fc19ca52023-11-30T22:48:54ZengMDPI AGInsects2075-44502023-01-011419110.3390/insects14010091Entomopathogenic Action of Wild Fungal Strains against Stored Product Beetle PestsSpiridon Mantzoukas0Ioannis Lagogiannis1Foteini Kitsiou2Panagiotis A. Eliopoulos3Department of Agriculture, University of Ioannina, Arta Campus, 45100 Ioannina, GreeceELGO-Demeter, Plant Protection Division of Patras, 26444 Patras, GreeceLaboratory of Plant Physiology, Department of Biology, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, GreeceLaboratory of Plant Health Management, Department of Agrotechnology, University of Thessaly, Geopolis, 41500 Larissa, GreeceThere is ample evidence that entomopathogenic fungi can be used as alternative biological control agents for the management of insect pests in storage facilities. As the market demands more environmentally friendly methods and chemical insecticides become increasingly obsolete, more studies are being conducted to evaluate new strains of entomopathogenic fungi for their efficacy in storage facilities. In this context, we tested ten species of fungi isolated from soil, belonging to the genera <i>Cladosporium</i>, <i>Condenascus</i>, <i>Lecanicillium</i>, and <i>Penicillium</i>, for their long-term effects on economically important beetle species. Whole wheat was directly sprayed with a conidial suspension of 10<sup>8</sup> spores/Ml of each of the tested fungi and then adults of <i>Sitophilus granarius</i>, <i>S. oryzae</i>, <i>S. zeamais</i>, <i>Rhyzopertha dominica</i>, and <i>Trogoderma granarium</i> were placed on the sprayed medium to study the mortality effects. Significantly higher mortality than the control was observed in all treatments. The lowest LT<sub>50</sub> (9.164 days) was observed in <i>T. granarium</i> infected with <i>Penicillium goetzii</i>. The isolate with the strongest results was <i>L. dimorphum</i>, which recorded remarkably low LT<sub>50</sub> values in <i>S. oryzae</i> (~11 days), <i>R. dominica</i> (~12 days), <i>T. granarium</i> (~10 days), and <i>S. granarius</i> (~13 days). However, for <i>S. zeamais</i>, it was more than 16 days. Our results confirm the existing literature on the efficacy of EPF on storage beetles, suggest the possible virulence of wild untested strains, and also highlight the importance of EPF specificity.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/14/1/91entomopathogenic fungistored product pests<i>Cladosporium</i><i>Condenascus</i><i>Lecanicillium</i><i>Penicillium</i> |
| spellingShingle | Spiridon Mantzoukas Ioannis Lagogiannis Foteini Kitsiou Panagiotis A. Eliopoulos Entomopathogenic Action of Wild Fungal Strains against Stored Product Beetle Pests Insects entomopathogenic fungi stored product pests <i>Cladosporium</i> <i>Condenascus</i> <i>Lecanicillium</i> <i>Penicillium</i> |
| title | Entomopathogenic Action of Wild Fungal Strains against Stored Product Beetle Pests |
| title_full | Entomopathogenic Action of Wild Fungal Strains against Stored Product Beetle Pests |
| title_fullStr | Entomopathogenic Action of Wild Fungal Strains against Stored Product Beetle Pests |
| title_full_unstemmed | Entomopathogenic Action of Wild Fungal Strains against Stored Product Beetle Pests |
| title_short | Entomopathogenic Action of Wild Fungal Strains against Stored Product Beetle Pests |
| title_sort | entomopathogenic action of wild fungal strains against stored product beetle pests |
| topic | entomopathogenic fungi stored product pests <i>Cladosporium</i> <i>Condenascus</i> <i>Lecanicillium</i> <i>Penicillium</i> |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/14/1/91 |
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