Application of three entomopathogenic fungi for aphid control

Aphids (Homoptera: Aphididae) are sap-sucking insect pests that feed on several plants of agronomical importance. Chemical pesticide application is the most commonly used method for aphid control. Due to rapid developments of resistance to pesticides and environmental pollution, integrated pest management, including biological control was promoted. In this context, entomopathogenic fungi are valuable tools for potential aphid control since various fungal strains are already commercially available. The present study aims to evaluate and compare the insecticidal activity of two Metarhizium and one Aspergillus strains against Acyrthosiphon pisum aphid.
Fungi were cultivated on wheat bran media in flasks up to sporulation. The solid media were washed with aqueous solutions containing 0.05% Tween 80 before filtration. The content of conidia was determined by haemocytometer. Doses ranging from 10^3 to 10^7 conidia/ml were then applied on young plants with 20 adult parthenogenetic aphids. Batches were incubated at a 16L/8D photoperiod, 25±2°C and 75-80% relative humidity. Adult mortality was assessed in order to determine LD50, LD90 and LT50 values, and the number of nymphs produced was daily recorded.
Five days after treatment, mortality rates ranged from 30 to 91% depending on the fungal strain and tested dose. Corresponding LD50 and LD90 values were 1.23 x 10^3 and 1.34 x 10^7, 3.67 x 10^3 and 9.71 x 10^7, 4.95 x 10^2 and 5.65 x 10^7 conidia/ml for Metarhizium sp., Metarhizium anisopliae and Aspergillus clavatus respectively. At the higher dose, the LT50 were reached within 2, 4 and 3 days respectively, whereas the LT50 were never reached in the controls. By contrast, the intrinsic growth rates were significantly different from uninfected aphids only in the case of A. clavatus with 10^6 and 10^7 conidia/ml doses five days after exposure.
In conclusion, these fungal isolates induced A. pisum mortality with a similar impact and A. clavatus infection appeared to alter the adults’ fitness. This suggests that these fungi may be candidates for aphid control. Further investigations should be made in order to assess their host range specificity. Toxic metabolites leading to death have to be identified and their safety towards non-target organisms confirmed. Finally, their persistence in the environment as well as the compatibility with over means of aphid control must be verified in a view of a broad integrated pest management.