Use of low cost substrates in Mass production of Metarhizium anisopliae and evaluation of its insecticidal potential as mycopesticide

Cultivation of M anisopliae on various grain substrates have shown that the sporulation of the fungus differs significantly among different substrate. Highest sporulation was recorded with broken rice (7 x104 spores per cm3) and maize (6.6 x104 spores per cm3), followed by broken jowar (5.4 x104 spores per cm3).The lowest sporulation was recorded with broken wheat (4.6 x104 spores per cm3). The results indicate high sporulation productivity and more spore count could be attained by use of low cost substrates as an economical means in mass scale production of this fungus. The significant finding was the potent insecticidal activity of this strain which caused killing of grasshoppers within fortnight application of conidial spores. The present study have shown that that broken grain substrates provide a simplest productive medium for mass production of Metarhizium anisopliae spores and 100% insecticidal action against grasshopper could be used as effective mycopesticide.