Selection of fungal strains against subterrenean pests and production of granular formulation

In this study, 9 Metarhizium anisopliae strains, selected from laboratory collection in order to produce an effective fungal biopesticide with granular form against subterrenean pests causing significant economic losses in agriculture, were subjected to stability tests before biopesticide production studies. By realising pathogenicity tests on Melolontha melolontha larvae which are important subterrenean pests, strains of fungi with high lathel effect were determined. Later, Pr1 gene contents of same strains were determined and it was seen that all these strains were included this gene. Enzyme activity measurements for all isolates, with the presence of appropriate substrate of the existing gene, were realised. After these tests; KTU-2, Gg-12, KTU-51 and KTU-60 were used in later studies. By consecutively realising 12 passaging operations on determined strains, morphological (colony morphologies, change of colour, formation of infertile area, spore production and resistivity of spores to UV), virulence (bioassays on Galleria mellonella larvae), genotypic (degestion with RAPD-PCR ve Restriction Endonucleases), biochemical (determination of proteolytic activity and esterase profiles) effects of passaging were determined. After analysing test results, it was decided that the most stable strains were KTU-2 and KTU-60. That is the first time, successfully, in Turkey that by growing up conidia on rice with solid phase fermentation, selected strains were converted to a fungal biopesticide prototype.