A mycoinsecticide from Metarhizium anisopliae (Ascomycota: Hypocreales) based on a solid-state fermentation method against some aphid species in Türkiye

Abstract The research aims to propose an appropriate and efficient mycoinsecticide from a local Metarhizium anisopliae (Ascomycota: Hypocreales) strain (KTU-51) against several aphid species (Hemiptera: Aphididae; Myzus persicae Sulz., Aphis fabae Scop., Brevicoryne brassicae L. and Macrosiphum rosae L.), which are the most important agricultural pests. M. anisopliae produced spores in large quantities utilizing solid-state fermentation (SSF) with rice as a substrate. An oil-based mycoinsecticide called AFIDISIDAL-OD Met-TR61 was improved by incorporating spores harvested from the sporulated biomass. The product provided a more deathful effect than commercial products against all the aphis species under laboratory conditions. Met-TR61 with 10⁸ spores/ml concentration yielded 78.3% mortality in the leaf disc experiment and 79% in the pot experiment on Myzus persicae. Other aphids were also found to be extremely sensitive to the product. In this particular study, an oil-based mycoinsecticide was developed and its efficacy for biological control of aphid species was assessed. The study’s findings indicate that the mycoinsecticide has the potential to be a workable and effective alternative to conventional chemical insecticides for controlling aphid populations.