Abstract
Present bioassays were conducted to determine the effect of temperature and relative humidity (r.h.) on the pathogenicity of
two commercially available formulations of entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) i.e. Metarhizium anisopliae and Beauveria
bassiana against Sitophilus granarius (L.). Adults of S. granarius were exposed to three conidial concentrations (1× 108
, 1.5×
108 and 2× 108 CFU kg -1 of wheat grains) of each EPF at three temperature ranges (25, 30 and 35°C) and relative humidity
levels (45, 60 and75%). Pathogenicity was assessed after 7, 14 and 21days (d) and after last count of 21 d all adults were
removed from the vials and vials were maintained at same conditions for additional 60 d to assess the F1 adult progeny
development. Results showed that efficacy of EPF influenced by temperature, relative humidity, conidial concentration and
exposure period. In case of B. bassiana pathogenicity was increased with reduced temperature 25°C and moderate r.h. 60%
and reached up to 72.5% at higher tested conidial concentration after 21 d of exposure period. For M. anisopliae optimum
conditions for pathogenicity were moderate temperature (30°C) and r.h. (60%) at which maximum pathogenicity of 64.16%
was achieved after 21 d with highest concentration. Regarding progeny production, reduced level of r.h. (45%) significantly
suppressed the adult emergence with all tested levels of temperature for both EPFs. However, least numbers of adults were
emerged on those abiotic conditions where higher pathogenicity was noticed. Overall results illustrated that both EPF have
potential to control S. granarius but their efficacy highly dependent on abiotic factors and these factors should be seriously
considered when planning an IPM program based on EPF
Shah Zaman, Mansoor ul Hasan, Farooq Ahmad, Nazir Javed. (2020) PATHOGENICITY OF ENTOMOPATHOGENIC FUNGI AGAINST Sitophilus granarius (L.) (COLEOPTERA: CURCULIONIDAE) UNDER ABIOTIC FACTORS, Pakistan Journal of Agricultural Sciences, Volume 57, Issue 1.
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