AUTHOR=Ramdani Chaimae , El Fakhouri Karim , Boulamtat Rachid , Bouharroud Rachid , Mesfioui Abdelhalim , Al-Jaboobi Muamar , El Bouhssini Mustapha 

TITLE=Entomopathogenic fungi as biological control agents of Dactylopius opuntiae (Hemiptera: Dactylopiidae) under laboratory and greenhouse conditions

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems

VOLUME=6

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sustainable-food-systems/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2022.997254

DOI=10.3389/fsufs.2022.997254

ISSN=2571-581X

ABSTRACT=<p>The cactus <italic>Opuntia ficus-indica</italic> L. is widly cultivated in Morocco and has a very an important economic role as a source of food, livestock feed and not forgetting that it is considered to be an income for people in rural communities. This crop is subject to the attack of a serious insect pest, the <italic>Dactylopius opuntiae</italic> (Cockerell), which sucks the sap from the plant causing huge production losses since its introduction to the country in 2014. The present study investigated the entomopathogenic effect of six fungal isolates {<italic>Beauveria bassiana</italic> [HASS; RFSL10; SPT 011(a)]; <italic>Akanthomyces lecanii</italic> [RFSLV; SPT R 215] and <italic>Cordyceps farinosa</italic> [SPSBI4]} for controlling of both nymphs and adult females of <italic>D. opuntiae</italic> in laboratory and greenhouse bioassays. Under laboratory conditions, the highest mortality of female <italic>D. opuntiae</italic> was registered by <italic>B. bassiana</italic> strain HASS at 10<sup>8</sup> conidia ml<sup>−1</sup> with 100%, followed by <italic>B. bassiana</italic> strain RFSL10, <italic>A. lecanii</italic> RFSLV, and <italic>C. farinosa</italic> SPSBI4 isolates with 98%, respectively, 10 days after treatments. Similarly, the highest level of nymph mortality (100%) was recorded by <italic>B. bassiana</italic> RFSL10 and HASS isolates at 10<sup>8</sup> conidia ml<sup>1</sup>, respectively, 4 and 5 days after application. Under greenhouse conditions, <italic>B. bassiana (</italic>HASS and RFSL10) and <italic>A. lecanii</italic> (RFSLV) isolates sprayed alone expressed a higher toxicity on nymphs with 75, 68.5 and 58%, respectively, 12 days after treatments. However, no significant difference was observed in adult female's mortality between different fungal isolates, where <italic>B. bassiana</italic> (HASS) at 10<sup>8</sup> conidia ml<sup>−1</sup> presented a moderate mortality rate with 55%, 12 days after application. In fact, the combination of black soap (60 g/L) with <italic>B. bassiana</italic> HASS and RFSL10 and <italic>A. lecanii (</italic>RFSLV) isolates at 10<sup>8</sup> conidia ml<sup>−1</sup> caused the highest toxic activity on <italic>D. opuntiae</italic> adult females, with 70.5, 68.75 and 67.65%, respectively. These findings showed that entomopathogenic fungi are promising for developing a biopesticide formulation for the management of <italic>D. opuntiae</italic> as an adequate and safe alternative to chemical pesticides.</p>