Endophytic colonization of tomato by Beauveria bassiana for control of the greenhouse whitefly, Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae)

Abstract

We evaluated the efficacy of four different methods for endophytic inoculation of entomo- pathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana in tomato plants. Fourteen days after inoculation, root dipping and leaf spraying allowed recovery of B. bassiana from leaves, while the fungus was recovered from roots in all inoculation methods, except soil drenching. Significant increases in mortalities of nymphs and adults of the greenhouse whitefly, 36 to 52%, were recorded on B. bassiana-endophyt plants. The total phenolic and protein contents of tomato plants were increased by endophyte colonization. Results of this study confirm the efficiency of foliar spraying of B. bassiana for colonization in tomato plants and its insecticidal activity against whitefly. The persistence of B. bassiana as endophyte was confirmed up to 56 days after inoculation. Given the insecticidal activity and beneficial effects of the endophyte on plant growth, B. bassiana could be considered as a suitable element in integrated pest management.