Impact of Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae on biochemical and antioxidant enzymes in Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier) infesting oil palm
Paper Details
Impact of Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae on biochemical and antioxidant enzymes in Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier) infesting oil palm
Abstract
Entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) are naturally occurring biological control agents that significantly manage pest populations in agriculture. It isagood, eco-friendly alternative to chemical pesticides. EPF’s importance in pest control lies in its ability to target specific pests, reduce resistance development compared to synthetic chemicals, and minimise harmful environmental impacts. The present study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of EPF against the pest of oil palm known as Rhynchophorus ferrugineus. For this study, the EPF was isolated from soil by using the insect baiting method. The isolated entomopathogenic fungi belonged to two genera, namely Beauveria and Metarhizium. The life cycle of the red palm weevil (RPW) was studied under laboratory conditions, and it took 140±26 days to complete one generation. After three generations of lifespan, the RPW grubs were treated with EPF in different concentrations of 2%, 4%, 6%, 8%, and 10%, respectively. Further, the infected samples and controls were analysed by biochemical parameters, antioxidant enzymes, and the results showed that these two Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae can control the activity of RPW. Thus, it can be used as a biopesticide in the future as an alternative source of other agrochemical pesticides.
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M. Malarvizhi, N. Santhana Bharathi, K. Sujatha*, A. Vijaya Anand, R. Manikandan, J. P. Antony Prabhu, 2026. Impact of Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae on biochemical and antioxidant enzymes in Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier) infesting oil palm. J. Biodiv. Environ. Sci., 28(6), 129-140.
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