Verticillium lecani(Zimm.): A potential entomopathogenic fungus

Abstract

Development of insect resistance and risk to the environment due to indiscriminate use of conventional chemical pesticides for insect pest management favored the introduction of one of the new alternatives as biological control. Entomopathogenic fungi are one of the most versatile biological control agents for sustainable management. The most considerable fungal species are Metarhizium spp., Beauveria spp., Nomuraea rileyi, Verticillium lecanii and Hirsutella spp. Out of these fungi, V, lecanii are opportunistic and widely distributed ascomycete fungi that has the ability to cause mycosis in a number of insects of orders Homoptera, Coleoptera and Lepidoptera. V. lecanii are easy to mass produce, store and are effective over a wide range of temperatures and humidity levels. It also provides a rapid kill at optimum doses and the fungus has been recently commercialized as a microbial agent for pest management. It has the additional features to produce extracelullar enzymes, such as chitinases which helps in promoting host colonization. It also shows compatibility with commonly used agrochemicals such as insecticides or fungicides and other biocontrol agents. Because of these numerous advantages, it can be considered as a potential biocontrol agent's in integrated pest management. Highlights• Verticillium lecanii as a potential entomopathogenic fungus and its mass production • Host specificity, mode of action , pathogenicity and epizootiology of V. lecanii • Factors influencing the growth and pathogenicity of V. lecanii • Compatibility of V.lecanii with other biocontrol agents and agrochemicals

Control of the Mango Shield Scale, Milviscutulus Mangiferae (Green) by Two Bio Rational Insecticides

“…Environmentally, the V. lecanii is not phytotoxic, not accumulated in plants and fruits, ensures ecofriendly and safe products, can be applied at any stage of plant growth, no safety interval, recommended for prophylactic use and within integrated plant protection systems and safe for people, warm-blooded animals, hydrobionts, bees and entomo-phages. It has been recently commercialized as a potential bio-control agent for pest management enjoying compatibility with commonly used agrochemicals and other bio-control agents (Upadhyay et al, 2014). So, based on the obtained result and its environmental behavior, our formulation of V. lecanii was found less toxic on mammals, predators and other non-target biota encouraging us to stress on their entrance the entomopathogenic clique against the examined insect, M. mangiferae.…”