Viability of Beauveria bassiana isolates after storage under several preservation methods

摘要

Beauveria bassiana is a worldwide distributed entomopathogenic fungus, which is used nowadays as an alternative to chemical pesticides in the control of several agriculture pests. Therefore, a preservation method must be established in order to maintain fungal culture and stocks, while fungal characteristics, like morphological features, spore production and viability, are kept well preserved. Although a large number of different storage methods are available and described, each fungus presents different characteristics, and therefore a new challenge for its preservation. In this work, we evaluate the effect of 1-year preservation by lyophilization, glycerol-freeze at −20°C and sub-culturing on growth, production and viability of spores and macro- and micro-morphology of three isolates of B. bassiana. Overall, results indicate that sub-culturing is the best method for conservation of this fungal species. However, if long-term storage is required, glycerol-freeze proved to be the most capable method of preservation.