Production and quality control of entomopathogenic fungal pathogens – a review

Abstract

This review summarizes the various types of culture media and substrates used for the mass production of entomopathogenic fungal pathogens and commercial-scale production of some economically important entomopathogenic fungi. Various aspects of entomopathogenic fungi such as growth, down stream processing of the conidial powder, post harvest storage and tests to check the quality of the products are reviewed. Among the microbial pesticides, fungal pesticides are now preferred as they are target specific, ecofriendly, lacking in toxic residue and are economical. There is a rising commercial demand for insecticides based on entomopathogenic fungal pathogens since they could be mass-produced cheaply with considerable shelf life and are easy to store and apply. The method of culture will largely depend on the fungal species and the type of propagules. Reports published on relevant research from various countries regarding this topic have been covered. It is hoped that this review will help to understand the basics of production technology and quality control of entomopathogenic fungal pathogens in microbial control.