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Beauveria bassiana

Beauveria bassiana is an entomopathogenic fungus, also known as the white muscardine fungus, used as a biopesticide against a wide range of soft-bodied insect pests in cotton, vegetables, pulses and plantation crops. The fungus is naturally widespread in soils worldwide and forms the basis of one of the oldest commercial mycoinsecticides.

Composition

  • Active organism: Beauveria bassiana (Hyphomycete fungus)
  • Standard Indian formulation: 1.15% WP with minimum 1 x 10^8 CFU per gram
  • Strain bank: ICAR-NBAIR, Bengaluru, develops and supplies pure cultures to licensed manufacturers
  • Other formats: oil dispersion (OD), wettable powder (WP), suspension concentrate (SC)

Mode of action

Conidia adhere to the insect cuticle, germinate in the presence of cuticular waxes, and penetrate the integument through a combination of mechanical pressure and enzymatic action by chitinases, lipases and proteases. Once inside the haemocoel, hyphal bodies multiply, produce the toxin beauvericin, and eventually kill the host within three to seven days. Cadavers turn into characteristic white-mummified mycelial masses from which new conidia are dispersed.

Target pests and dose

Effective against whitefly, aphids, thrips, jassids, mealybug, mites, weevils, beetles and a range of lepidopteran caterpillars including spotted bollworm, pink bollworm and Helicoverpa armigera. Typical foliar dose is 2-5 g/L of WP applied in the evening to maximise conidial viability; soil drenches are used for soil-dwelling pests and root weevils. Best results are obtained at relative humidity above 70%.

Safety and regulatory status

Registered under the Insecticides Act 1968 (CIB&RC). No pre-harvest interval; safe to honey bees, mammals and most predators when used as directed. Should not be tank-mixed with broad-spectrum fungicides, which kill the spores. Compatible with Neem Oil and most biocontrol agents.

See also: Metarhizium Anisopliae, Verticillium Lecanii, Trichoderma Viride, Pseudomonas Fluorescens.

References

  1. Bio-pesticide Formulations of Beauveria, Metarhizium and Lecanicillium. ICAR-National Bureau of Agricultural Insect Resources (NBAIR).
  2. Beauveria bassiana 1.15% WP Technical Specification. Utkarsh Agrochem.