Tag Archive for: Sweet potatoes

Entomopathogenic fungi are a type of biological agent used for this purpose. Previous research by the author demonstrated that local isolates of the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae, when supplemented with insect flour, could enhance conidia production, viability, and virulence. This makes the isolate suitable for development as a bioinsecticide. For the growth of entomopathogenic fungi as biological agents, a sufficient supply of high-quality inoculum and efficient production methods are essential. Currently, solid media such as rice and maize are used for propagation, which is costly. Therefore, there is a need for new alternative media that are economically viable, nutrient-rich, effective, easy to obtain, and abundant in raw materials. Additionally, the media must support the growth and proliferation of entomopathogenic fungi. The objective of this study is to identify the most effective media for the propagation of M. anisopliae. The study employed a completely randomized design (CRD) with 8 treatments and 4 replications, resulting in 32 experimental units. The treatments included various media: rice bran, tofu leftovers, broken maize, sweet potatoes, cassava, husks, and green beans. Data were processed using variance testing, followed by the BNT test at a 5% significance level. The study’s findings indicate that the rice bran medium had the highest growth percentage of M. anisopliae, reaching 100%. It also proved to be the best medium in terms of incubation time, fungal colony diameter, and conidia/mg.