HERMINE CLAUDINE MAHOT1*, GERTRUDE MEMBANG3, RAYMOND JOSEPH MAHOB2, DANIELLE CHRISTELLE TINAK EKOM1, VICTORINE LOMBEKO OBE TOMO1, LEILA BAGNY BEILHE4, WAYNE JIANG5 and RACHID HANNA3,6
1Institute of Agricultural Research for Development (IRAD), P.O. 2067, Yaoundé, Cameroon
2Faculty of Science, University of Yaoundé I, P.O. 812, Yaoundé, Cameroon
3International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), BP 2008, Yaoundé-Messa, Cameroon
4CIRAD, UPR Bioagresseurs, Montpellier, France
5Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
6Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
*Corresponding author: mahotclaudine@yahoo.fr
Received: 15 Feb 2025, Reviewed: 26 Mar 2025, Revised: 13 Apr 2025, Accepted: 26 Apr 2025, Published: 06 June 2025
https://doi.org/10.63342/cjbbs2025.33.006.eng
ABSTRACT
The microbial biocontrol agents Beauveria bassiana (B. bassiana) and Metarhizium anisopliae (M. anisopliae) are highly effective in controlling various insect pests. However, their effectiveness often depends on biopesticide formulation, which could be affected by unfavourable environmental conditions. This study aimed to determine the compatibility of eight vegetable oils derived from raw palm, refined palm, sunflower, cotton, soybean, groundnut, neem, and canola in formulations of B. bassiana and M. anisopliae. This compatibility of oils with fungi was investigated by measuring fungal hyphal growth, conidial yield, fungal biomass, and conidial viability. The results showed a significant inhibition of B. bassiana growth in neem (2.08%) and raw palm oils (0.52%) and M. anisopliae in neem oil (0.28%). Conidia yield was high in the soybean (29.3 x 106 conidia/mL), groundnut (27.2 x 106 conidia/mL) and refined palm (23.83 x 106 conidia/mL) oils as well as vegetative growth for B. bassiana, while conidiogenesis of both fungal species was highest in soybean oil (29.3 x 106 conidia/mL and 44.4 x 106 conidia/mL for B. bassiana and M. anisopliae respectively). Fungal viability varied considerably, with the highest density of viable propagules obtained in Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) culture media amended by sunflower oil for B. bassiana (43.2 x 104 viable propagules/ml) and in raw palm oil for M. anisopliae (97.4 x 104 viable propagules/ml). Taking these four parameters into account, it was concluded that the compatibility or toxicity of the oils to the two fungal species was mixed. The results of this study were relevant to the formulation of biopesticides based on effective strains of the two fungal species and constituted an essential component for this research program aimed at formulating biopesticides and testing their pathogenicity against insect pests under field conditions.
Keywords: Vegetable oil, Cameroonian indigenous isolates, entomopathogens, compatibility, biopesticide.
RÉSUMÉ
Les agents microbiens de biocontrôle Beauveria bassiana (B. bassiana) et Metarhizium anisopliae (M. anisopliae) se sont révélés très efficaces pour lutter contre divers insectes nuisibles. Cependant, leur efficacité dépend souvent de la formulation du biopesticide, qui peut être affectée par des conditions environnementales défavorables. Cette étude visait à déterminer la compatibilité de huit huiles végétales dérivées (huile de palme brute, de palme raffinée, du tournesol, du coton, du soja, de l’arachide, du neem et du canola) dans les formulations à base de B. bassiana et de M. anisopliae. Cette compatibilité des huiles avec les champignons a été étudiée en mesurant la croissance des hyphes fongiques, la production de conidies, la biomasse fongique et la viabilité des conidies. Les résultats ont montré une inhibition significative de la croissance de B. bassiana dans les huiles de neem (2,08%) et de palme brute (0,52%) et de M. anisopliae dans l’huile de neem (0,28%). La production de conidies était élevée dans les huiles de soja (27,2 x 106 conidies/mL), d’arachide (23,83 x 106 conidies/mL) et de palme raffinée, de même que la croissance végétative de B. bassiana, tandis que la conidiogenèse des deux espèces fongiques était plus élevée dans l’huile de soja (29,3 x 106 conidies/mL et 44,4 x 106 conidies/mL for B. bassiana and M. anisopliae respectivement). La viabilité fongique a considérablement varié, la densité la plus élevée de propagules viables étant obtenue dans le milieu de culture PDA (Pomme de terre Dextrose Agar) amendé par l’huile de tournesol pour B. bassiana (43,2 x 104 propagules viables /ml) et par l’huile de palme brute pour M. anisopliae (97,4 x 104 propagules viables /ml). En tenant compte de ces quatre paramètres, la compatibilité ou la toxicité des huiles à l’égard des deux espèces fongiques est restée mitigée. Les résultats de cette étude semblent pertinents pour la formulation de biopesticides à base de ces souches efficaces des deux espèces fongiques et constitueraient un élément essentiel pour les programmes de recherche visant à formuler des biopesticides et à tester leur pathogénicité vis-à-vis des insectes nuisibles dans des conditions de terrain.
Mots-clés: Huile végétale, isolats camerounais endogènes, entomopathogènes, compatibilité, biopesticides.
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