ISOLATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF ENTOMOPATHOGENIC ...

90 DAS
After 90 days of storage, sharp decline in the viability of M. anisopliae was noticed
when stored at room temperature and earthern pot, while a gradual decline in viability was
recorded at refrigerated temperature.
The maximum viability under room temperature was found in wettable powder based
formulation i.e. 75 per cent conidia + 25 per cent sorghum flour (78.70%) followed by 50 per
cent conidia + 50 per cent sorghum flour (74.94%) and 75 per cent conidia + 25 per cent
sunflower oil (72.50%), whereas 50 per cent conidia + 50 per cent groundnut recorded least
among the treatment carriers with 58.50 per cent germination. In case of earthern pot also 75
per cent conidia + 25 per cent sorghum flour recorded the highest per cent germination
(84.06%) followed by 50 per cent conidia + 50 per cent sorghum flour (79.64%), 50 per cent
conidia + 50 per cent wheat flour (76.56%), 75 per cent conidia + 25 per cent groundnut
(66.16%) and lowest germination with 50 per cent conidia + 50 per cent mustard (63.73%)
and 50 per cent conidia + 50 per cent sunflower (73.66%) which were on par with each other
(Table 29).
At refrigerated storage, 75 per cent conidia + 25 per cent mustard (92.33%) showed
maximum per cent germination which was on par with 50 per cent conidia + 50 per cent
sunflower (87.90) and 75 per cent conidia + 25 per cent wheat flour (91.40%).
120 DAS
Metarhizium anisopliae exhibited moderate viability at both (room temperature and
earthern pot) and per cent germination had dropped below 50 per cent after 120 days to
storage except under 75 per cent conidia + 25 per cent sunflower oil (53.13% and 59.56%)
and 75 per cent conidia + 25 per cent groundnut oil (51.50% and 56.73%) room temperature
and earthern pot respectively.
With increase in days of storage, oil formulation excelled in its ability to support the
viability of the mycopathogen lagging behind the wettable powder formulation. Under room
temperature, 75 per cent conidia + 25 per cent sunflower proved superior by producing
significantly higher spore germination (53.13%) and was on par with 75 per cent conidia + 25
per cent groundnut oil (51.50%). Mixing of 50 per cent conidia and 50 per cent mustard
(50.33%) did not differ from 75 per cent conidia + 25 per cent groundnut (51.50%) followed by
75 per cent conidia + 25 per cent mustard (40.33%) and 50 per cent conidia + 50 per cent
sunflower (47.36%). In others, the spore germination was considerably less.
At earthern pot storage temperature again, the 75 per cent conidia + 25 per cent
sunflower proved superior with 59.56 per cent germination followed by 75 per cent conidia +
25 per cent groundnut (56.73). However, this treatment did not differ from 75 per cent conidia
+ 25 per cent mustard (55.90%) followed by 50 per cent conidia + 50 per cent mustard
(54.23%) with 50 per cent conidia + 50 per cent sunflower (53.80%), whereas the least
percentage of germination was recorded with 50 per cent conidia + 50 per cent wheat flour
(38.43%) (Table 30 and Fig. 6).
150 DAS
A sharp decrease in conidial population was observed in all carrier materials at both
temperature (room temperature and earthern pot) after 150 days and also declined at other
storage temperature (refrigerated and deep freezer). In general, all the carrier materials had
maximum conidial viability in case of refrigeration and deep freezer storage.