The effect of endophytic Beauveria bassiana in banana (Musa spp.) plants against the banana weevil Cosmopolites sordidus was examined in a screenhouse study in Uganda. Tissue-cultured banana plants (cv. Kibuzi, genome group EA-AAA) were inoculated by dipping roots in a B. bassiana suspension of 1.5 × 107 conidiaml for 2 h. C. sordidus larvae were introduced 2 months later. Two weeks after larval infestation, endophytic B. bassiana significantly reduced larval survivorship (23.5–88.9% mycosis), resulting in 42.0–86.7% reduction of plant damage. This study has demonstrated for the first time that endophytic B. bassiana can be used to target the cryptic and damaging stage of C. sordidus, and offers an alternative, effective delivery mechanism for this biological control agent.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cropro.2008.07.003

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https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cropro.2008.07.003

Banana; Pests Of Plants

Beauveria Bassiana; Cosmopolites Sordidus; Endophyte; Entomopathogen; Musa

Africa; East Africa

Uganda