Influence of a strain of beauveria bassiana (bals.) vuill. in populations of hypothenemus hampei Ferrari.

Abstract

Beauveria bassiana (Bals.) Vuill. is an entomopathogenic fungus used in the control of pests that affect crops of great economic importance. This fungus causes natural epizootics in populations of Hypothenemus hampei Ferrari, one of the most important pests that affect coffee. The objective of this work was to isolate and characterize a strain of B. bassiana that causes epizootics in populations of H. hampei in Limonar, El Salvador, Guantánamo. The effect of three means of cultivation was studied on the growth of colonies, the sporulation, the viability and the pathogenicity of the isolated one of B. bassiana. The best means of cultivation for the development of the isolated of B. bassiana was the agar extract of malt. The strain presented a good sporulation with concentrations of 10⁸cfu.mL^-1 to the tenth day of incubation and with percentages of viability and patogenicidad of more than 95%.