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<p>Leaf hoppers (<i>Idioscopus</i> spp.) are the most destructive pests of mango trees in India. They have traditionally been managed through the application of systemic insecticides. The present study investigated the potential of a&#xa0;native isolate of <i>Metarhizium anisopliae</i> as a&#xa0;biocontrol agent against mango hoppers, with the objective of developing a&#xa0;sustainable bio-pesticide formulation. The study focused on isolating, characterizing, and evaluating the effectiveness of an <i>M.&#xa0;anisopliae</i> strain (<i>Ma</i>IIHR), collected from mango hopper cadavers. The entomopathogen was identified as <i>M. anisopliae</i> through morphological characterization and molecular amplification of the ITS, β‑tubulin, and elongation factor gene regions using specific primers (GenBank accession: MG561860.1 for ITS, PV575972 for β‑tubulin, and PV741071 for elongation factor). A&#xa0;mass production protocol for <i>M. anisopliae</i> was standardized and an oil-based formulation was developed. Laboratory bioassays demonstrated the high efficacy of <i>Ma</i>IIHR against both nymphs and adults of mango hoppers, achieving 100% mortality at the highest spore concentration (1.0 × 10<sup>10</sup> spores/mL). Field evaluations under exclusion cages revealed dose-dependent effectiveness, with <i>Ma</i>IIHR causing hopper mortality of up to 80.77% at the highest concentration. Open-field trials showed a&#xa0;significant reduction in hopper populations (84.42%) in <i>Ma</i>IIHR-treated plots compared to the control. Front-line demonstrations in farmer field trials further confirmed the effectiveness of <i>Ma</i>IIHR, resulting in a&#xa0;76.47% reduction in hopper populations. Multi-location studies across five agro-ecological zones of India, conducted over three consecutive years (2019–2020, 2020–2021, and 2021–2022), demonstrated that <i>Ma</i>IIHR at 0.5 mL/L was the most effective and economical concentration against the mango leaf hopper complex. This study highlights the potential of the <i>M.&#xa0;anisopliae</i> strain (<i>Ma</i>IIHR) as a&#xa0;sustainable, eco-friendly alternative to chemical insecticides for managing mango hoppers.</p>

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Evaluation of a Native Isolate of Metarhizium anisopliae (Metschn.) Sorokin Against the Mango Leaf Hopper Complex (Idioscopus spp.) Infesting Mango (Mangifera indica L.) for Organic Fruit Production

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年10月23日

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  • T. K. Radha,
  • P. N. Ganga Vishalakshy,
  • P. V. Rami Reddy,
  • A. Nithish,
  • Sachin Chavan,
  • Poonam Shrivastava,
  • Suganya Kanna,
  • Anamika Kar,
  • A. Y. Munj,
  • M. C. Keerthi,
  • Prakash Patil

摘要

Leaf hoppers (Idioscopus spp.) are the most destructive pests of mango trees in India. They have traditionally been managed through the application of systemic insecticides. The present study investigated the potential of a native isolate of Metarhizium anisopliae as a biocontrol agent against mango hoppers, with the objective of developing a sustainable bio-pesticide formulation. The study focused on isolating, characterizing, and evaluating the effectiveness of an M. anisopliae strain (MaIIHR), collected from mango hopper cadavers. The entomopathogen was identified as M. anisopliae through morphological characterization and molecular amplification of the ITS, β‑tubulin, and elongation factor gene regions using specific primers (GenBank accession: MG561860.1 for ITS, PV575972 for β‑tubulin, and PV741071 for elongation factor). A mass production protocol for M. anisopliae was standardized and an oil-based formulation was developed. Laboratory bioassays demonstrated the high efficacy of MaIIHR against both nymphs and adults of mango hoppers, achieving 100% mortality at the highest spore concentration (1.0 × 1010 spores/mL). Field evaluations under exclusion cages revealed dose-dependent effectiveness, with MaIIHR causing hopper mortality of up to 80.77% at the highest concentration. Open-field trials showed a significant reduction in hopper populations (84.42%) in MaIIHR-treated plots compared to the control. Front-line demonstrations in farmer field trials further confirmed the effectiveness of MaIIHR, resulting in a 76.47% reduction in hopper populations. Multi-location studies across five agro-ecological zones of India, conducted over three consecutive years (2019–2020, 2020–2021, and 2021–2022), demonstrated that MaIIHR at 0.5 mL/L was the most effective and economical concentration against the mango leaf hopper complex. This study highlights the potential of the M. anisopliae strain (MaIIHR) as a sustainable, eco-friendly alternative to chemical insecticides for managing mango hoppers.