Entomopathogenic fungi isolated from the soil of Terengganu Malaysia as potential bio-pesticides against the red palm weevil Rhynchophorus ferrugineus

Lee Grace Ern Lin, . and Jamilah Mohd Salim @ Halim, . and Mohd Farid Ahmad, . and Wahizatul Afzan Azmi, . Entomopathogenic fungi isolated from the soil of Terengganu Malaysia as potential bio-pesticides against the red palm weevil Rhynchophorus ferrugineus. pp. 71-79. ISSN 1823-8556

Red Palm Weevil Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (RPW) is a new invasive species that has infested coconut trees along the coastline of Terengganu. It has also shown signs of plague in the inland of Peninsular Malaysia. Entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) is a natural antagonist of insects that has huge potential to be developed as bio-insecticides. Indigenous EPF has acclimatized to harsh environment and therefore would be effective to combat RPW. In this study seven isolates of EPF (MetGra-1 “ MetGra-7) were isolated from the soil samples and bioassay was performed against the adult RPWs by evaluating the mortality and hyphae growth on RPW cadavers. MetGra-4 and MetGra-7 showed promising results as first mortalities were observed on the 4th and 5th day respectively. Both strains achieved 100 cumulative mortality by 20th day of inoculation. The ET50 was achieved on eighth day for MetGra-7 and tenth day for MetGra-4. This study on indigenous EPF served as a platform to search for potential bio-pesticide against the RPW threat that could affect the economics of coconut and palm oil industries.

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Abstract

Red Palm Weevil Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (RPW) is a new invasive species that has infested coconut trees along the coastline of Terengganu. It has also shown signs of plague in the inland of Peninsular Malaysia. Entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) is a natural antagonist of insects that has huge potential to be developed as bio-insecticides. Indigenous EPF has acclimatized to harsh environment and therefore would be effective to combat RPW. In this study seven isolates of EPF (MetGra-1 “ MetGra-7) were isolated from the soil samples and bioassay was performed against the adult RPWs by evaluating the mortality and hyphae growth on RPW cadavers. MetGra-4 and MetGra-7 showed promising results as first mortalities were observed on the 4th and 5th day respectively. Both strains achieved 100 cumulative mortality by 20th day of inoculation. The ET50 was achieved on eighth day for MetGra-7 and tenth day for MetGra-4. This study on indigenous EPF served as a platform to search for potential bio-pesticide against the RPW threat that could affect the economics of coconut and palm oil industries.

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Item Type:	Article
AGROVOC Term:	Entomopathogenic fungi
AGROVOC Term:	Rhynchophorus ferrugineus
AGROVOC Term:	Weevils
AGROVOC Term:	Biological control
AGROVOC Term:	Biological control agents
AGROVOC Term:	Coconuts
AGROVOC Term:	Soil sampling
AGROVOC Term:	Sandy soils
AGROVOC Term:	Coastal area
AGROVOC Term:	Sporulation
Geographical Term:	Malaysia
Depositing User:	Ms. Suzila Mohamad Kasim
Last Modified:	28 Apr 2025 07:07
URI:	http://webagris.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/24198

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