Abstract

ISOLATION, CULTIVATION, IDENTIFICATION AND SCREENING OF THE ENTOMOPATHOGENIC ACTIVITY OF Beauveria bassiana ON COFFEE BERRY BORER

*K.Soundari, A.Saranya and G.Senthilkumar

Abstract

Economically important crops should be safeguard from residualpesticides. At present, application of microbial inoculants is extremelyfollowed for the management of soil borne disease. This papersummarizes the progress and achievements of mass production,formulation and application technology of the entomopathogenicfungus, Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo). Data were presented on theproduction of proteins, phenols, enzymes like chitinase and pectinaseto degrade the chitin and pectin present in the insect integuments,bioassay to detect the lethal effect of coffee Berry borer by B.bassianaat different concentration and field application of the fungus.

Keywords: Entomopathogenic fungus, Beauveria bassiana, coffee plant, CBB, bioassay.