Biocontrol efficacy of entomopathogenic fungi Beauveria bassiana conidia against agricultural insect pests

Abstract

AbstractInsect pests are serious threats to agriculture, forestry, and human health because they damage crops and trees and spread diseases. Chemical insecticides control insect pests quickly and effectively, protecting crops. Environmental and health concerns arise from their use. Long‐term exposure can cause pesticide‐resistant insects, requiring stronger chemicals. Beneficial insects and wildlife may be harmed. Some chemical insecticides persist in the environment, causing long‐term ecological damage. The present study was to isolate, identify, and characterize entomopathogenic fungi from the soil, evaluate their pathogenicity against major insect species, and evaluate the non‐target effect on soil bioindicator species. Bioassay results show that Beauveria bassiana conidia are more pathogenic to all three species at 10 days after treatment, causing 100% mortality in Halyomorpha halys and Tenebrio molitor within 10 days. The lethal concentration showed lower LC50 values of 9.5 × 103 conidia/mL in H. halys, 2.6 × 103 conidia/mL in T. molitor, and 8.3×104 conidia/mL in P. japonica, B. bassiana treatment results showed a shortened insect life time LT50 of H. halys (6.0 days), T. molitor (5.3 days), and P. japonica (6.9 days). The present study concluded that B. bassiana fungi conidia are more efficient against three major insect pests.