1District Agricultural Advisory and Transfer of Technology Centre (DAATTC), Nalgonda, 508 001, Andhra Pradesh, India.
2Agri-Biotech Foundation, Acharya N. G. Ranga Agricultural University, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad, 500 030, Andhra Pradesh, India.
3All India Coordinated Research Project on Biological Control of Crop Pests and Weeds, ARI, Rajendranagar, Acharya N. G. Ranga Agricultural University, Hyderabad, 500 030, Andhra Pradesh, India.
Five substrates, viz., sorghum, rice bran, rice husk, pressmud and bagasse were evaluated to identify the most suitable substrate for large scale multiplication of six strains of Beauveria bassiana. The results of the study showed sorghum as the most suitable substrate as it yielded highest conidial count for all the strains and the conidial viability was also highest in the conidia harvested from sorghum. The strain Bb-5A was found to be the most vigorous among all the strains as it recorded highest conidial count per gram of the substrate on all the substrates used.
Mass Multiplication, Beauveria bassiana, strains, substrates
