Fungus culturing method shows promise for biopesticide

摘要

A method for culturing the fungus Metarhizium anisopliae may mean new bio-insecticide formulations,according to USDA's Agricultural Research Service.The beneficial fungus infects and kills certain insects,including soft-bodied ticks,termites and sugar beet root maggots.Metarhizium insecticides have traditionally been formulated with conidia or other spore forms of the fungus,which are difficult to mass-produce and have a poor shelf life and field survival once applied.But a culturing method has Metarhizium turning out billions of tightly bundled cells called microsclerotia-one of the toughest forms the fungus can take to survive adverse conditions.Studies from ARS microbiologist Mark Jackson and ARS entomologist Stefan Jaronski show that microsclerotia-based formulations of the Metarhizium insecticide can be produced in less time than conidia-based counterparts and also work faster and more effectively.Furthermore,microsclerotia can be formulated into granules and sized more easily than other spore forms,making them more compatible with seed planters and pesticide granulate applicators.