Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

Annually insect and arthropod pests cause damage to both crops and cattle. In recent decades there has been an increased attention towards using alternative methods for pest control. The genus Metarhizium contains several soil associated entomopathogenic species of fungi which may be used as effective solutions for biological control of invertebrate pests. However, while the pathogenicity has been thoroughly studied, the ecology of this fungal group remains a tentative mystery. The aims of this study were to study the natural abundance of Metarhizium in a forest, pasture and agricultural field in Sweden. Out of 36 soil samples two species, Metarhizium flavoviride var. pemphigi and Metarhizium guizhouense were isolated from forest soil. A cultivation-independent assay revealed that the agricultural field harbored the highest abundance of Metarhizium. These findings are most likely due to the effect of local weather conditions at the time of sampling. The results herein indicates that time of sampling is a more important factor than previously anticipated.