Abstract
Spodoptera frugiperda is a widely distributed insect pest that causes major economic losses in various crops, particularly maize. On the other hand, Beauveria bassiana is an entomopathogenic fungus that establishes symbiotic associations with many plants and contributes to tolerance against biotic and abiotic stresses. In the present work, in laboratory experiments, the effects of the B. bassiana strain GHA, in addition to a native strain (PTG4), delivered via seed treatment in maize seedlings, were evaluated on S. frugiperda growth, development, and mortality. We inoculated maize seeds with 1 × 106B. bassiana blastospores; then these seeds were germinated and grown to seedlings under growth chamber conditions. Third-instar S. frugiperda larvae were allowed to feed on B. bassiana-treated and -untreated (negative control) seedlings until reaching the sixth instar and transferred to an artificial diet until reaching adult stage. Results showed that larvae feeding on B. bassiana strain PTG4-treated plants prolonged their larval stage. Furthermore, feeding on plants treated with B. bassiana strains yielded fewer S. frugiperda male moths compared with feeding with the untreated control plants. Under field conditions, 1 × 106 (first trial) and 1 × 108 (second trial) of B. bassiana (GHA strain) blastospores were used for corn seed inoculation. In the first field trial, there were a higher number of larvae in the negative control plants compared to those in the plants treated with B. bassiana. No larvae were found in negative control and B. bassiana-treated plants in the second field trial. In conclusion, seed treatment with B. bassiana in maize reduced S. frugiperda infestation of maize plants in field trials. S. frugiperda development was also affected in laboratory trials.
Highlights
Worldwide, about an 18–26% reduction in crop production is due to insect pests, which mostly occurs in the fields before harvest [1]
The destruction generated by S. frugiperda relies on the geographic region, seed variety, planting time, and fundamental cultural habits in and around the field, abiotic factors have an effect on egg and initial larval stage mortality during a rainy season, and with various predators during a dry season [4]
Solid substrate fermentation for Samples T-test analysis showed no significant difference between negaerial-conidia and liquid culture fermentation for blastospores are typical methods for ative controls and B. bassiana-treated plants in corn cob length with F =
Summary
About an 18–26% reduction in crop production is due to insect pests, which mostly occurs in the fields before harvest [1]. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), from the tropical and subtropical zones of America [2], is a catastrophic insect pest of economic importance [3]. This voracious insect has a polyphagous feeding nature in more than 80 host species, including many commercial crops such as maize, cotton, rice, soybean, bean, and other crops from the Gramineae family [3,4,5]. Until 2015, damage due to S. frugiperda was reported only in America [6], but in the last few years, attacks have been reported in other parts of the world [5]. The destruction generated by S. frugiperda relies on the geographic region, seed variety, planting time, and fundamental cultural habits in and around the field, abiotic factors have an effect on egg and initial larval stage mortality during a rainy season, and with various predators during a dry season [4]
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