Mass production of entomopathogenic fungi using agricultural products and by products

Abstract

Various agricultural products and by products such as grains, vegetable wastes, seeds, rice husk, saw dust and liquid media such as coconut water, rice and wheat washed water and rice cooked water were evaluated for mass production of three entomopathogenic fungi; Beauveria bassiana, (Bals.) Vuil. Paecilomyces fumosoroseus (Wize) Brown and Smith and Verticillium lecanii. (Zimm) Viegas. Among the grains, wheat supported maximum spore production for B. bassiana while sorghum recorded
maximum spore production in P. fumosoroseus and V. lecanii. Similarly carrot, jack seeds and ladies finger also supported good growth and sporulation of all the three tested fungi. Coconut water supported maximum growth and sporulation.