Biological pest control

Characterization and Virulence of Metarhizium anisopliae (Hypocreales: Clavicipitaceae) Isolates from Ecologically Distinct Soils Against Spodoptera litura (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

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This study identified five native fungal strains (Metarhizium anisopliae) from Taiwanese soils that can kill the tobacco caterpillar pest (Spodoptera litura). The most effective strain, PT-01, showed strong ability to infect and kill caterpillar larvae, particularly at early life stages. The research demonstrates that these fungi could be developed into environmentally-friendly pest control alternatives to chemical pesticides, protecting crops while maintaining ecosystem health.

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

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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.

A mycovirus enhances fitness of an insect pathogenic fungus and potentially modulates virulence through interactions between viral and host proteins

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Scientists discovered a virus that infects a beneficial fungus used to control insect pests. Instead of harming the fungus, this virus makes it much better at its job by doubling spore production, helping it survive harsh conditions like UV radiation and heat, and making it more deadly to target insects. The improvement comes from specific interactions between viral and fungal proteins that work together to enhance the fungus’s natural pest-killing abilities.

Bioprospecting of four Beauveria bassiana strains and their potential as biological control agents for Anastrepha ludens Loew 1873 (Diptera: Tephritidae)

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Researchers tested four strains of a beneficial fungus called Beauveria bassiana from Mexico to see if they could control the Mexican fruit fly, a major pest that damages mango and orange crops. The fungus naturally infects insects and kills them. Tests showed that all four strains were very effective at killing adult fruit flies, with the best performance at higher spore concentrations. These locally adapted fungal strains may work better than imported alternatives for farmers in the Veracruz region.

Microcycle Conidia Production in an Entomopathogenic Fungus Beauveria bassiana: The Role of Chitin Deacetylase in the Conidiation and the Contribution of Nanocoating in Conidial Stability

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This study explores how to produce more fungal spores from Beauveria bassiana, a natural pest control organism, through a process called microcycle conidiation. Scientists found that a specific enzyme, chitin deacetylase, plays a crucial role in this process. They also discovered that coating these spores with nanoparticles made them more resistant to heat and UV light, making them more effective for field application against insect pests like leaf caterpillars. The nanocoated spores maintained their ability to kill pests while being more stable in harsh environmental conditions.

Evaluating Beauveria bassiana Strains for Insect Pest Control and Endophytic Colonization in Wheat

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Scientists tested three strains of a beneficial fungus called Beauveria bassiana to control crop-damaging insects and promote wheat growth. The best-performing strain, CBM1, successfully killed multiple types of pest insects and colonized wheat plants when applied to the soil. Wheat plants colonized with this fungus grew taller with longer roots and showed significantly better protection against fall armyworms, suggesting this fungus could be a valuable tool for sustainable, pesticide-free crop protection.

UV-Induced Mutants of Metarhizium anisopliae: Improved Biological Parameters, Resistance to Stressful Factors, and Comparative Transcriptomic Analysis

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Scientists used UV light to create improved mutant strains of a fungus that naturally kills insect pests. The best mutant strain showed increased ability to survive harsh environmental conditions like heat and oxidative stress, while becoming more effective at infecting target pest insects. This improvement makes the fungus more practical for use as a natural pesticide in fields exposed to sunlight. Gene analysis revealed the mutant fungi enhanced certain protective proteins while reducing reliance on traditional antioxidant systems.

Insecticidal Action of Local Isolates of Entomopathogenic Fungi Against Bactrocera oleae Pupae

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Olive farmers in Mediterranean countries struggle with the olive fruit fly, which damages olives and reduces oil production. Researchers tested special fungi that naturally infect and kill insects to see if they could control this pest at the soil stage when fly pupae are developing underground. Several fungal species, especially Beauveria bassiana, were effective at reducing survival of emerged adult flies by about 40% compared to untreated flies. This offers a promising natural alternative to chemical pesticides that can harm olive oil quality and lose effectiveness over time.

A mycovirus enhances fitness of an insect pathogenic fungus and potentially modulates virulence through interactions between viral and host proteins

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Scientists discovered a virus that infects Beauveria bassiana, a fungus used to control pests naturally. This virus actually helps the fungus by making it produce more spores, survive harsh conditions like sunlight and heat, and kill target insects faster. The virus does this by interacting with specific fungal proteins that control reproduction, stress response, and virulence. This discovery could lead to better biological pest control products that are more effective and reliable than current options.

Development of Biphasic Culture System for an Entomopathogenic Fungus Beauveria bassiana PfBb Strain and Its Virulence on a Defoliating Moth Phauda flammans (Walker)

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Researchers developed an efficient two-stage fermentation process to mass-produce Beauveria bassiana PfBb, a fungus that kills defoliating moths damaging Ficus trees. The first stage grows the fungus in liquid to produce active spores, which are then transferred to solid substrates to produce hardy, long-lasting conidia. The optimized process produces high quantities of effective fungal spores that can be stored at refrigerator temperature for over a year while maintaining their pest-killing ability.

Research Topic: Biological pest control