Optimizing nutritional conditions for the liquid culture production of effective fungal biological control agents

Spores of fungal pathogens of weeds and insects are unique in their ability to actively infect and kill their pest host. While these capabilities are advantageous in terms of their use as a contact biological control agent, or biopesticide, they also require special consideration during spore production. Directed approaches to medium optimization must consider not only spore yield but also spore qualities such as desiccation tolerance, stability as a dry preparation, and biocontrol efficacy. Nutritional conditions during culture growth and sporulation should direct the accumulation of appropriate endogenous reserves so that newly formed spores possess these advantageous qualities. Studies with the bioherbicidal fungus Colletotrichum truncatum and with the bioinsecticidal fungus Paecilomyces fumosoroseus have demonstrated the impact of nutrition on spore ‘fitness’ for use as a biological control agent. The optimization strategy used in these nutritional studies as well as a comparison of the results are presented.