Biological control of Ilex paraguariensis (A. St.-Hil.) pests with Beauveria sp.

Abstract

The objective of this study was to verify the potentiality of producing Beauveria spore in agro-industrial waste, the maintenance of their viability after drying and storage tests and of testing its pathogenicity against insects of occurrence in mate culture: Thelosia camina e Hylesia sp. It was used Beauveria sp. strain LAG, isolated of a infected Thelosia camina caterpillar. The spore were produced in the blend of refused potatoes and sugar-cane bagasse (60-40%) and used for the drying test which resulted in 76% of viability after 24h/35 °C, with concentrations of more of 10⁹ spore.g^-1 of the material after storage at room temperature for 60 days. The experiments of pathogenicity resulted in death rates which ranged from 15.9 to 97%, depending on the form of application (immersion or spraying), the used concentration (suspensions of 10⁸ to 10⁵spore.mL^-1 or suspension of macerate form infected caterpillars with the fungus), being these applications done in vitro or in the field. This study allowed to verify and confirm the pathogenicity of the strain Beauveria sp. - LAG on the lepidopteran on larval phase, as Thelosia camina and Hylesia sp.; which can be use as a possible biological control agent for the culture of mate.