Abstract

ISOLATION, CULTIVATION, IDENTIFICATION AND SCREENING OF THE ENTOMOPATHOGENIC ACTIVITY OF Beauveria bassiana ON BANANA WEEVIL

*K.Soundari, V.J.Kavitha and G.Senthilkumar

Abstract

Microbial control of plant pathogens and insect pest is an importantcomponent of effects to reduce our reliance on chemical pesticides andincrease sustainability of agriculture. Banana is the fourth mostimportant economic crop. Its yield decreases due to the pathogeniceffect of pests. Banana weevil, Cosmopolites sordidus is an importanteconomic pest of banana Beauveria bassiana is formulated incommercially available biopesticide for control of insect pests.Because this fungus can grow inside plants without affecting theirhealth of growth. B.bassiana has potential as biological control agentfor plant pathogens as well. Development of biopesticides that cancontrol both plant pathogens and insect pests can have enormous valuefor plant protection in agriculture, with many environmentaladvantages. Among the various biocontrol methods used to controlinsects, fungal entomopathogen, Beauveria bassiana is highly promising. The qualitative andquantitative estimation of protein was done to analyze the presence of protein in the fungus.In the present study fungal protein was extracted, purified and crystallized.

Keywords: Beauveria bassiana, screening, entomopathogenic activity, crystallization.