Study on thepotential of some entomopathogenic fungi in the management of the common grasshopper species Poecilimon glandifer (Karabag) (Orthoptera:Tettiigonidae) in Tokat province

This study was carried out to determine the effectiveness of local entomopathogenic fungus isolates for the green grasshopper (Orthoptera: Tettigonidae) Poecilimon glandifer (Karabag) species collected from Merkez and Erbaa districts in Tokat Province between 2018-2021. The insects were collected from Grassland and Pasture Fields The sixteen Beauveri bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin (GOPT-123, GOPT-158, GOPT-228, GOPT-247, GOPT-258, GOPT-259, GOPT-283, GOPT-321, GOPT-331, GOPT-375, GOPT-PB-2, GOPT-DYYLD, F-12, F-53, F-56, GOPT-64), and two Metarhizium anisopliae (Metshcn) Sorokin SL (Hypocreales: Clavicipitaceae) (GOPT-5-2, GOPT-228-1) isolates were tested in the study. Three different inoculation methods were used against the adult and 3rd nymph stages of the green grasshopper; spraying on insect, spraying on food and injection on insect. It was applied in a dose of 1x108 conidiospore ml-1 in single-dose screening trials in the laboratory. Based on the results of single-dose screening tests and spore density two isolates GOPT-228 and GOPT-PB-2 were chosen for dose-mortality trials. Dose-mortality trials were conducted using 1x103, 1x105, 1x107, 1x108, 1x109 conidia/ml consenrations. Experiments were set up with 5 replications and repeated once. According to the results of the analysis, B. bassiana isolate GOPT-PB-2 showed the highest effect in food spray application with LC90 value of 1.6x107 spore/ml concentration and LT90 value of 14.3 days in third instar stage. As a result of the studies, it has been seen that entomopathogenic fungi have the potential to be used in biological control against grasshoppers, and further studies are required to investigate the efficasy especially in greenhouse and field conditions, in order to evaluate this isolate in the control of the pest in more detail.