Production of Cordyceps fumosorosea EH-510 conidia for the biological control of moniliasis (Moniliophthora roreri) in Tuzantán Chiapas, Mexico

Abstract

Moniliasis caused by Moniliophthora roreri is the main disease affecting this crop in Mexico; its attack is severe and constitutes one of the major limitations in production, making integrated pest management ideal. The objective was to use Cordyceps fumosorosea EH-510 for the biological control of M. roreri in Tuzantán, Chiapas. Samples of M. roreri were collected in the study area, and molecular identification was carried out using the ITS 1 and ITS 2 regions. The antagonistic capacity of C. fumosorosea EH-510 vs. M. roreri was evaluated using the scale of Manandhar et al., (2019). The production of conidia on rice was carried out and sprayed bi-monthly under field conditions. The maximum production of conidia from C. fumosorosea EH-510 was observed on day 14 with 1.44*1010 conidia/grams of initial solid substrate. The molecular analysis confirmed the morphological identification of M. roreri. Regarding the mycoparasitism of C. fumosorosea EH-510, it showed very good and good antagonism (50-50%), with an inhibition percentage of 70.03%. With field applications, the incidence of M. roreri was reduced by 71%, indicating that C. fumosorosea EH-510 is a good controller of moniliasis.