An assessment of biological control of the banana pseudostem weevil Odoiporus longicollis (Olivier) by entomopathogenic fungi Beauveria bassiana

Abstract

Abstract Banana (Musa sp.) is the most imperative staple food crop for all types of people worldwide, which is commonly grown in Southeast Asia. Banana plantain can be severely affected by the devastating pest Odoiporus longicollis that results in severe economic losses in India. Management of weevil pests using chemical methods is harmful to the environment, and cultural methods are also partially successful. Therefore, an alternative approach of plant defense mediated by endophytic fungi to control banana stem borer larvae is necessary, which could affect the extracellular enzyme chitinase and protease. Among four isolates, Beauveria bassiana isolate KH3 is the most virulent entomopathogenic fungus compared with other isolates, and species identification was achieved using molecular phylogenetic characteristics. The B. bassiana isolate KH3 (1 × 108 conidia/mL-1) is more bioeffective against O. longicollis larvae, causing >90% significant mortality in 12 and 18 days. Adult weevils were treated with a higher concentration (1 × 108 conidia/mL-1) of the endophytic B. bassiana isolates KH3 and KH9, which resulted in a maximum mortality of 76.6% at 27 days of post inoculation compared to that with other isolates (p > 0.05). Based on our results, B. bassiana isolate KH3 (MN165867) can be exploited as a potential biocontrol agent for reducing insect population and stem damages in banana by lure and kill method.