Efficacy of Entomopathogenic Fungi against Sapota Fruit Mite, Tuckerella kumaonensis Gupta (Tuckerellidae: Acari) under Laboratory Condition
Abstract
A laboratory investigation was conducted during 2020 and 2021 at Biocontrol Laboratory, N. M. College of Agriculture, Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari, Gujarat, to test the efficacy of different entomopathogenic fungi against sapota fruit mite, Tuckerella kumaonensis Gupta infesting sapota. Among the various entomopathogenic fungi, the treatment of Beauveria bassiana (1×10⁸ cfu/g) @ 4g/l found significantly superior (62.03% mortality) over the rest of the treatments. However, the treatment of Lecanicillium lecanii (1×10⁸ cfu/g) @ 4g/l registered 45.41 per cent mortality and found the next best treatment against sapota fruit mite and was statistically at par with the treatment of Metarhizium anisopliae (1×10⁸ cfu/g) @ 4g/l (42.39% mortality). The treatments of Hirsutella thompsonii (1×10⁸ cfu/g) @ 4g/l found to be least effective against sapota fruit mite (31.04% mortality).
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Introduction
Sapota [Manilkara achras (Mill.) Fosberg] belongs to family Sapotaceae is an important tropical fruit crop having 2n=26 chromosome number. It is a native of Mexico and Tropical America. It is commonly known as chiku. The sapota is a climacteric fruit. Fully ripen fruits of sapota are delicious and sweet in taste used as dessert fruits. It is a commercial orchard crop where the fruits are used for preparation of many value-added products viz. squash, jam, slices, butter, cheese, candy, milk shake, powder, biscuit, ice-cream, shrikhand, pulp, juice, dehydrated sapota slices, nectar, lassie, chocolate and bar. The latex obtained from stems and immature fruits is used in the preparation of chewing gum. Besides food values, the sapota fruits are also used in some ayurvedic preparations. Sapota is supposed to be medicinal also seeds as diuretic, bark as tonic, antipyretic, febrifuge and in curing biliousness and febrile attacks. The fruit is a good source of digestible sugar (12 to 18%) and appreciable source of protein, fat, fibre and minerals like calcium, phosphorous and iron (Chadha, 2001). In Gujarat state, it is cultivated in districts viz. Valsad, Navsari, Surat, Mehsana, Junagadh, Bhavnagar, Gir Somnath and Kachchh.
Among the various factors affecting the yield and quality of fruit, the damage caused by insect pests is considered as a major constraint. The yield and economic value of sapota fruits have been affected by number of insect pests as well as non-insect pests. More than 25 insect pests have been reported to attack on sapota tree at different crop stages during both on season and off seasons (Butani, 1979). Among them, about 16 insect pests and mites were identified in last two decades from sapota orchards in Gujarat (Patel et al., 2002) and their numbers reached to 33 insect pests and non-insect pests in sapota orchard with increase in the acreage (Bisane et al., 2018).
Conclusion
Among the various treatments of entomopathogenic fungi, the treatment of B. bassiana (1×10⁸ cfu/g) @ 4g/l found significantly superior than rest of the entomopathogenic fungi treatments as it recorded 62.03 per cent mortality, which was significantly highest all over the tested entomopathogenic fungi as well as treatment of water spray and control. However, the treatment of L. lecanii (1×10⁸ cfu/g) @ 4g/l registered 45.41 per cent mortality and found best next in order for their effectiveness against sapota fruit mite which was statistically at par with the treatment of M. anisopliae (1×10⁸ cfu/g) @ 4g/l exhibited 42.39 per cent mortality. The treatments of H. thompsonii (1×10⁸ cfu/g) @ 4g/l found least effective against sapota fruit mite which indicated 31.04 per cent mortality. The lowest per cent mortality (5.26%) was recorded in treatment of water spray, while in case of control, mortality was not recorded.
The study demonstrates that B. bassiana has significant potential as a biological control agent against sapota fruit mite, T. kumaonensis under laboratory conditions. However, field validation studies are essential to confirm the efficacy of these entomopathogenic fungi under natural conditions, considering the challenges of temperature, humidity, UV radiation, and application technology. Future research should focus on developing appropriate formulations, optimizing application methods, and evaluating the compatibility of these fungi with other pest management strategies.
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