Effect of entomopathogenic fungi against invasive pest Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in maize

Ten indigenous entomofungal strains of Beauveria bassiana , Metarhizium anisopliae , and M. rileyi were evaluated against 2nd instar larvae of the maize fall armyworm (FAW) Spodptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in a laboratory bioassay. Among the ten strains tested, M. anisopliae ICAR-NBAIR Ma-35 caused 67.8% mortality, followed by B. bassiana ICAR-NBAIR Bb-45 with 64.3%, and ICAR-NBAIR Bb-11 with 57.1% mortality. Rest of the isolates showed 10.7–28.6% mortality. ICAR-NBAIR Ma-35 showed LC 50 of 1.1 × 10 7 spores/ml and LT 50 at 1 × 10 8 spores/ml is 86.04 h and ICAR-NBAIR Bb-45 showed LC 50 of 1.9 × 10 7 spores/ml and LT 50 at 1 × 10 8 spores/ml is 88.30 h. Field evaluation with these two promising strains were conducted against maize fall armyworm for 2 years (2018 and 2019) at ICAR-National Bureau of Agricultural Insect Resources experimental farm, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India. Field trial results indicated 68 and 69% reduction of FAW infestation and 55 and 62% increase in yield in the plots treated with M. anisopliae ICAR-NBAIR Ma-35/ B. bassiana ICAR-NBAIR Bb-45, respectively, during 2018. In 2019, 70 and 76% reduction of FAW infestation and 44 and 55% increase in yield were observed in the plots treated with these two entomofungal pathogens, respectively.