Studies on pathogenicity of Metarhizium anisopliae (Metschnikoff) Sorokin against gram pod borer, Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner)

Pathogenicity tests of two isolates of Metarhizium anisopliae (Metschnikoff) Sorokin, cultured on SDA medium supplemented with and without larval extract, were carried out against Helicoverpa armigera (Hb.). The LC50 values of Pantnagar isolate and MUCL 8237, grown on SDA medium supplemented with larval extract, were 5.06 and 22.1 × 106 conidia ml−1, 10.5 and 32.7 × 106 conidia ml−1, and 31.8 and 77.2 × 106 conidia ml−1 against second, third and fourth instar larvae, respectively, showing thereby higher virulence of the former in terms of LC50 and LT50 values against H. armigera larvae.