Use of agroindustrials waste as texturizers to entomopathogenic fungi production on solid-state culture

Abstract

Myco-insecticides are used to control agricultural pests without damaging the environment and are prepared from conidia (infectious units) of entomopathogenic fungi (EF), as Metarhizium anisopliae and Isaria fumosorosea, which are produced in solid-state culture (SSC). The objective was to evaluate the different proportions of parboiled rice (PR) with agro-industrials waste (texturizers), on the conidia production of entomopathogenic fungi in SSC. The incorporation of texturizers mixed with rice, increased significantly (p<0.05) the porosity (ε) of the bed, with a linear correlation. For strain M. anisopliae, conidia production (Ca) reached Ca ~ 6x108 conidia per gram of initial dry rice (conidia/gidr), with a porosity ε= 0.43, using parboiled rice (PR) with wood chips (WC). Moreover, for strains I. fumosorosea ARSEF3302 y CNRCB1, the production reached Ca ~ 7x109 y 1x1010 conidia/gidr, respectively, with a range of porosity ε= 0.39 to 0.45, using PR and corn stover (CS). In conclusion, wood chips and corn stover can be used as texturizers agents in SSC, to modify the porosity, resulting in increased conidia production of entomopathogenic fungi.