ABSTRACT
Response of two Chilean Metarhizium anisopliae (Metschnikoff) Sorokin isolates to the addition of a solar sunscreen

Luis Devotto M.1* y Marcos Gerding P.1
 

Two Chilean isolates of Metarhizium anisopliae (Metschnikoff) Sorokin (QU-M363 and QU-M221b) were exposed to increasing doses of ultraviolet light (UV) under laboratory conditions. Conidia suspended in aqueous solution were spread on Petri dishes containing agar-agar and were placed under a UV lamp (λ = 254 nm). Without sunscreen, exposure of conidia to UV-C light reduced germination after 40 s from 80- 95% to 5-2%, for QU-M221b and QU-M363, respectively. Using the solar screen Blankophor P167® at 1% w/v, conidia germination decreased after 40 s from 68-82% to 50-33% for QU-M221b and QUM363, respectively. Results indicate that the sunscreen Blankophor P167 is a potential adjuvant to be used in biopesticides based on M. anisopliae.

Keywords: solar radiation, entomopathogenic fungi, sunscreen, biopesticides, UV light.
1 Instituto de Investigaciones Agropecuarias, Centro Regional de Investigación Quilamapu, Casilla 426, Chillán, Chile. E-mail: ldevotto@inia.cl *Autor para correspondencia.