EVALUATION OF NOVEL ENTOMOPATHOGENIC FUNGI FOR GRASSHOPPER MANAGEMENT

• Sponsoring Institution: Agricultural Research Service/USDA
• Project Status: ACTIVE
• Funding Source: USDA INHOUSE
• Reporting Frequency: Annual
• Accession No.: 0419376
• Project Start Date: Apr 1, 2010
• Project End Date: Mar 30, 2015
• Program Code: [(N/A)]- (N/A)

Recipient Organization
UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY
(N/A)
LOGAN,UT 84322

Performing Department
BIOLOGY

Non Technical Summary
(N/A)

Animal Health Component

100%

Research Effort Categories

Basic

0%

Applied

100%

Developmental

0%

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
211	0799	1130	80%
215	1541	1130	20%

Knowledge Area
211 - Insects, Mites, and Other Arthropods Affecting Plants; 215 - Biological Control of Pests Affecting Plants;

Subject Of Investigation
0799 - Rangelands and grasslands, general; 1541 - Hard red spring wheat;

Field Of Science
1130 - Entomology and acarology;

Keywords

grasshoppers

mormon

cricket

biocontrol

metarhizium

beauveria

Goals / Objectives
Identify new, better entomopathogenic fungi (Metarhizium, Beauveria spp.) that are pathogenic to grasshoppers and Mormon crickets.

Project Methods
Utah State has isolated well over 400 isolates of the two fungi, with funding from USDA APHIS, in the search of a good mycoinsecticide for Mormon crickets. These isolates will serve as the basis for ARS identifying a candidate(s) for grasshopper management in parallel to Utah State¿s objectives. Utah State will provide as many as 400 isolates, based on selection by both ARS and Utah State. ARS will evaluate these isolates using multiple criteria, including pathogenicity towards grasshoppers, mass production potential, thermotolerance, and selective nontarget insect studies.