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Screening and Optimization of Solid-State Fermentation for Esteya vermicola, an Entomopathogenic Fungus Against the Major Forest Pest Pine Wood Nematode

Summary

Scientists optimized how to grow large quantities of a beneficial fungus called Esteya vermicola in solid fermentation, which kills the pine wood nematode pest that destroys pine forests. By testing different combinations of ingredients (wheat bran, corn flour, soybean flour, glucose, yeast extract, and magnesium sulfate) and environmental conditions (temperature, humidity, inoculation volume, and time), researchers increased fungal spore production more than 4-fold. These results provide a practical method for producing biopesticide products to protect pine forests from this damaging pest.

Background

Pine wilt disease caused by the pine wood nematode is a major threat to pine forests worldwide. Esteya vermicola is an entomopathogenic fungus with lunate conidia capable of parasitizing the nematode and shows promise as a biological control agent. Solid-state fermentation is preferred for large-scale production due to advantages in microbial agent transport and shelf life.

Objective

To optimize solid-state fermentation conditions and medium composition for maximizing the yield of lunate conidia from Esteya vermicola strain Fxy121. The study aimed to develop efficient production methods suitable for biopesticide development against pine wood nematode.

Results

Optimal substrate composition was wheat bran:corn flour:soybean flour at 7:2:1 ratio with substrate-to-water ratio of 1:0.7, supplemented with 1.33% glucose, 1.33% yeast extract, and 1.33% MgSO4. Optimal fermentation conditions were 24.9°C, 78.0% relative humidity, 16.3% inoculation volume, and 7.1 days fermentation time, yielding 16.58 × 10^8 conidia/g, a 4.45-fold increase from initial conditions.

Conclusion

The optimized solid-state fermentation protocol significantly enhanced lunate conidia yield of Esteya vermicola Fxy121, providing a practical method for large-scale production. These findings support the development of effective biopesticide formulations based on this fungal strain for biological control of pine wood nematode.
  • Published in:Microorganisms,
  • Study Type:Experimental optimization study,
  • Source: PMID: 40005800, PMC11858419
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