Revealing the potential cultivation by liquid fermentation of important entomopathogenic fungi in citrus

• Grant number: 13/16544-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): October 01, 2013
• Effective date (End): January 31, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Plant Health
• Principal Investigator: Italo Delalibera Júnior
• Grantee: Vanessa da Silveira Duarte
• Host Institution: Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Orange is the most important fruit crop of Brazil. The occurrence of arthropod pests results in large losses in productivity of citrus. The entomopathogenic fungi are important natural enemies of pests and in some cases maintains the pest population in balance through the epizooties in the field. The laboratory of Pathology and microbial control of insects (ESALQ-USP) was a pioneer in the area of microbial control of insects, with the development of the first mycopesticides based products by solid fermentation registered with the Ministry of Agriculture, Boveril WP, Metarril WP and Trichodermil. Nowadays the laboratory is working in the development of biopesticide to control Diaphorina citri, the citrus greening vector, using Isaria fumosorosea, a fungus that is not yet used commercially in the country. In citrus entomopathogenic fungi are commonly found and these fungi presents a great impact on the natural regulation of pests, but have low potential as mycopesticides due the difficult in production by solid fermentation. The proposed research project aims to develop methods of cultivation of entomopathogenic fungi associated with citrus pests by liquid fermentation. For this, we will collect the fungi associated with mites and insect pests in citrus and subsequent identification and preservation of it by the Collection of Pathogens ESALQ-USP. Afterward, we will investigate the production of structures (blastospores, yeast cells, etc.) of these fungi by liquid fermentation throughout of comparison of culture media with different carbon: nitrogen rates. The results of this study will reveal the potential of fungi associated with pests in citrus, hitherto less studies and improve the strategies used in integrated pest management of this crop. (AU)