Compatibility of Metarhizium anisopliae (Metsch.) Sorokin with some chemical and botanical pesticides used in coconut pest management

摘要

The green muscardine fungus Metarhizium anisopliae (Metsch.) Sorokin (Deuteromycotina: Hypomycetes) is one of the most effective and successful biocontrol agent of rhinoceros beetle (Oryctes rhinoceros Linn.), a major pest of coconut and oil palm. Theadult rhinoceros beetles damage palms by boring through the unopened spindle and inflorescence and breed in dead and decaying organic debris like cattle dung, compost, coir dust etc. (Nirula et al., 1955; Mohan and Pillai, 1982).Several systemic and contact pesticides such as chlorpyriphos, monocrotophos, carbaryl etc. are recommended for the control of coconut pests (Nair et al, 1997; Rajan et al, 2009). The weed plant, Clerodendron infortunatum, was found to elicit insect growth regulatory activity in O. rhinoceros and incorporation of this plant in the breeding sites of the beetle is recommended for pest management (Chandrika Mohan et al, 2001). The present investigation was aimed to understand the in vitro effects of some chemical and botanical pesticides on the growth and sporulation of M. anisopliae in order to develop adequate techniques that can permit the compatible use of this entomopathogen with these pesticides. The study was carried out at the Biological Control Laboratory of the Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (CPCRI), Kayamkulam, Kerala and the strain of M. anisopliae var. major used in this study was obtained from stock culture maintained at CPCRI.