<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<italic>Phthorimaea operculella</italic> (PTM) is an economically significant invasive potato insect pest in tropical and sub-tropical regions. Due to many problems concerning chemical insecticides, biocontrol agents such as entomopathogenic fungi have attracted researchers’ interest regarding their application as a part of integrated potato tuber moth management strategies in several countries. Hence, in the present study, we examined the lethal effects of entomopathogenic fungus, <italic>Metarhizium anisopliae</italic> (used as pure culture (PEF) or formulated with MCM-41 silica nanomaterial (MCM-41@fungus)) on eggs and neonate larvae of PTM. The MCM-41was completely characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) techniques. The morphology of MCM-41@fungus was evaluated by scanning electron microscope (SEM). The morphology of the mesoporous structure was exhibited to be homogeneous, regular, and spherical. LC50 values of PEF and MCM-41@fungus were estimated to be 1.7×107 and 2×105 conidia/ml for eggs and 1.8×106 and 1.5×104 conidia/ml for neonate larvae, respectively. Hence, bioassays demonstrated that MCM-41@fungus was more toxic than the pure culture at egg and neonate larval stages of the pest. The results exhibited that pure <italic>M. anisopliae</italic> and its nano-formulation could play key roles as biopesticides in management programmes of <italic>P. operculella</italic>.
</abstract>

Phthorimaea operculella (PTM) is an economically significant invasive potato insect pest in tropical and sub-tropical regions. Due to many problems concerning chemical insecticides, biocontrol agents such as entomopathogenic fungi have attracted researchers’ interest regarding their application as a part of integrated potato tuber moth management strategies in several countries. Hence, in the present study, we examined the lethal effects of entomopathogenic fungus, Metarhizium anisopliae (used as pure culture (PEF) or formulated with MCM-41 silica nanomaterial (MCM-41@fungus)) on eggs and neonate larvae of PTM. The MCM-41was completely characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) techniques. The morphology of MCM-41@fungus was evaluated by scanning electron microscope (SEM). The morphology of the mesoporous structure was exhibited to be homogeneous, regular, and spherical. LC50 values of PEF and MCM-41@fungus were estimated to be 1.7×107 and 2×105 conidia/ml for eggs and 1.8×106 and 1.5×104 conidia/ml for neonate larvae, respectively. Hence, bioassays demonstrated that MCM-41@fungus was more toxic than the pure culture at egg and neonate larval stages of the pest. The results exhibited that pure M. anisopliae and its nano-formulation could play key roles as biopesticides in management programmes of P. operculella.

Entomopathogenic fungus, <italic>Metarhizium anisopliae,</italic> anchored onto MCM-41 silica nanomaterial: A novel and effective insecticide against potato tuber moth in stored potatoes

Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture

Hellenic Plant Protection Journal

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Entomopathogenic fungus,  anchored onto MCM-41 silica nanomaterial: A novel and effective insecticide against potato tuber moth in stored potatoes

Phthorimaea operculella (PTM) is an economically significant invasive potato insect pest in tropical and sub-tropical regions. Due to many problems concerning...

Entomopathogenic fungus, Metarhizium anisopliae, anchored onto MCM-41 silica nanomaterial: A novel and effective insecticide against potato tuber moth in stored potatoes

Published Online: Jan 18, 2022

Page range: 21 - 29

Received: Jan 26, 2019

Accepted: Nov 14, 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/hppj-2022-0003

Keywords
bio-pesticide, MCM-41, nano-formulation, toxicity

© 2021 F. Khorrami et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Entomopathogenic fungus, Metarhizium anisopliae, anchored onto MCM-41 silica nanomaterial: A novel and effective insecticide against potato tuber moth in stored potatoes

Published Online: Jan 18, 2022

Page range: 21 - 29

Received: Jan 26, 2019

Accepted: Nov 14, 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/hppj-2022-0003

Keywordsbio-pesticide, MCM-41, nano-formulation, toxicity

© 2021 F. Khorrami et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Keywords
bio-pesticide, MCM-41, nano-formulation, toxicity