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Screening of tropical isolates of Metarhizium anisopliae (Hypocreales: Clavicipitaceae) for virulence to the sweet potato weevil, Cylas formicarius (Coleoptera: Brentidae)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 August 2015

Ronnie Dotaona*
Affiliation:
Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation (an alliance between Charles Sturt University and NSW Department of Primary Industries), Charles Sturt University, Locked Bag 588, Wagga Wagga, NSW 2678, Australia
Bree A.L. Wilson
Affiliation:
Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation (an alliance between Charles Sturt University and NSW Department of Primary Industries), Charles Sturt University, Locked Bag 588, Wagga Wagga, NSW 2678, Australia
Mark M. Stevens
Affiliation:
Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation (an alliance between Charles Sturt University and NSW Department of Primary Industries), Yanco Agricultural Institute, NSW Department of Primary Industries, Private Mail Bag, Yanco, NSW 2703, Australia
Joanne Holloway
Affiliation:
Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation (an alliance between Charles Sturt University and NSW Department of Primary Industries), Wagga Wagga Agricultural Institute, NSW Department of Primary Industries, Private Mail Bag, Wagga Wagga, NSW 2650, Australia
Gavin J. Ash
Affiliation:
Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation (an alliance between Charles Sturt University and NSW Department of Primary Industries), Charles Sturt University, Locked Bag 588, Wagga Wagga, NSW 2678, Australia
*
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Abstract

The sweet potato weevil (SPW), Cylas formicarius, is a serious pest of sweet potato in Australia and Papua New Guinea. Ten strains of Metarhizium sp. isolated from Australian soil samples were evaluated for their growth characteristics and screened for virulence to adult SPW under laboratory conditions. All isolates except QD62 (48.6%) had moderate to high germination (66–97%), and all took 2 to 4 days to sporulate at 25 °C. The optimal temperature for radial growth for the majority of isolates was 30 °C, and there was a significant interaction between isolate and temperature (P< 0.05). Isolate QS155 showed the fastest radial growth at 30 °C. The internal transcribed spacer sequences showed slight variations among the isolates; however, all isolates were shown to be Metarhizium anisopliae. Isolates varied greatly in their virulence. At 10 days after inoculation (DAI) by immersion in a suspension of 1 × 107conidia/ml, 9 of the 10 isolates were virulent, causing 80–100% mortality of adult SPW. Only two isolates (QS001-6 and QS155) caused more than 50% mortality at 5 DAI. In dose-mortality bioassays, isolate QS155 had the lowest 20-day LC50 and LC90 values; however, there were no statistically significant differences in mortality among the three most promising isolates tested (QD66, QS001-6 and QS155). These results show that M. anisopliae isolate QS155 has potential as a microbial control agent for SPW, and that further evaluation under glasshouse and field conditions is warranted.

Type
Research Papers
Copyright
Copyright © ICIPE 2015 

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