Nicast, an Organic Manure Influencing Conidial Production and Virulence of a Hyphomycetous Fungus, Metarhizium anisopliae against Whitegrub

Effect of ‘Nicast’ on growth and conidia production of an entomopathogenic fungus, Metarhizium anisopliae when incorporated in solid (agar), liquid and maize grain media and on the virulence of the pathogen against the whitegrub, Holotrichia consanguinea was investigated. Growth of the pathogen increased (20–40%) significantly on Czapek's agar medium with nicast doses upto 10%, while maximum conidia production at 5 per cent. The same dose of nicast (5%) in the grain medium enhanced conidial count by 175.5% over non-nicast medium. However, 5% nicast in liquid media proved inhibitory, reducing the conidial count by 61–63 per cent. M. anisopliae combined with lower doses of nicast (0.1, 1, 2%) in soil caused early mortality (in 19d) of the test insect than the fungus and lower doses of nicast tried individually.