Open AccessNatural occurrence of the entomopathogenic fungi <i>Beauveria bassiana</i> as a vertically transmitted endophyte of <i>Pinus radiata</i> and its effect on above and belowground insect pests
Author(s) -
M.-C. Lefort,
A.C. McKin,
T.L. Nelson,
Travis R. Glare
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
proceedings of the new zealand weed and pest control conference/new zealand plant protection/proceedings of the ... national weeds conference/proceedings of the new zealand weed control conference/proceedings of the new zealand plant protection conference
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 0370-2804
pISSN - 0370-0968
DOI - 10.30843/nzpp.2016.69.5917
Subject(s) - beauveria bassiana , pinus radiata , biology , endophyte , radiata , entomopathogenic fungus , bassiana , fungus , botany , entomopathogenic fungi , insect , biological pest control , horticulture , agronomy , vigna
The New Zealand forest industry would greatly benefit from a successful way of controlling insect pests The entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana could hold such potential It has previously been shown to be capable of endophytic colonisation of the Monterey pine Pinus radiata We investigated B bassiana transmission in P radiata and whether this fungus while acting as an endophyte was beneficial to this tree species by testing its effect on above and belowground insect feeders Beauveria bassiana was detected in P radiata seedlings which had not previously been exposed to the fungus indicating a vertical mode of transmission The presence of the fungus negatively affected the fitness of belowground insects feeding on the plant by reducing their survival by over 10 and their weight by about 5 This verticallytransmitted beneficial endophyte of pine could be used costeffectively to control insect pests in commerciallygrown P radiata plantations