Growth and viability of entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin in different alternative media

Abstract At present, the use of synthetic chemical pesticides become a threat to the biotic and abiotic environment. The use biological agents such as entomopathogen may become an alternative in supporting integrated pest management. One of entomopathogenic fungus that has been used in controlling pests is Beauveria bassiana. However, a good alternative media for the growth of B. bassiana is required to produce more optimal conidia density and germination. This study was aimed to determine the effect of several media on the growth of B. bassiana and its conidial density. The method used in this study was compeletely randomized design with 5 replications. The experimental treatment consisted of PDA, maize, rice, and mungbean. The result showed that there was no significant differences among maize, mungbean, and PDA media in supporting the growth of B. bassiana, with the means of colonies diameter at 8.91 cm, 8.89 cm, and 9.00 cm, respectively. Moreover, the growth rate, conidia density, and viability of the alternative media were not significantly different with PDA. Therefore, further research to determine other alternative media for the growth and viability of B. bassiana is needed.