Entomopathogenic fungi are widely recognized as agents of biological control worldwide. Their use in agriculture for the regulation of pest populations is a promising alternative to conventional insecticides. Furthermore, recent studies have shown that entomopathogenic fungi fulfill an additional role in plants as growth promoters. The purpose of this investigation was to assess the growth and yield of corn plants colonized with Beauveria bassiana and its effect on the lepidopteran pest Rachiplusia nu. Effects of the fungus on plant growth, crop yield, and vertical transmission were evaluated in the field. Feeding preferences of R. nu larvae were assessed in the laboratory using a “choice test”. Corn plants inoculated with B. bassiana showed an increase in height, number of leaves, grain weight, yield, and percentage of seed germination compared to control plants. Consumption of B. bassiana-colonized corn plants by R. nu larvae was reduced compared to feeding levels observed on non-inoculated plants. This study showed that endophytic B. bassiana can provide multiple benefits to Zea mays and can play an important role in future integrated pest management programs.

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Background: Management practices can modify the productivity of forests and the associated microbial diversity of soil. The soil mycobiota is considered a key factor in the ecological functions of forests. Forests of Nothofagus pumilio (Poepp. & Endl.) Krasser (Nothofagaceae) are the main source of timber and one of the most important economic resources in the province of Tierra del Fuego (Argentina). However, there is no information on the impact of forest management interventions for the soil mycobiota, which can be reliable biological indicators of disturbance.Methods: Fungi were isolated from samples of soil collected under several Nothofagus pumilio forests subjected to different types of management and periods of time since the intervention. Types of management were represented by harvested forest with a shelter wood cutting, stockpile area and control forest without intervention and the periods of time since intervention were 1, 5–10 and 50 years. Species richness, evenness and Shannon’s diversity index of the mycobiota in each condition of management were calculated. Additionally, the effect of seasonality was analysed.Results: The soil mycobiota was represented by 70 taxa. Richness and/or Shannon’s diversity index of the mycobiota between undisturbed forest and stockpile area were higher in May (autumn) than in September or November. There were no differences in mycobiota diversity between dates in the harvested forest.Conclusions: Our results indicate that the forest intervention per se did not negatively affect the soil culturable mycobiota composition of N. pumilio forests in Tierra del Fuego (Argentina).