Potential of a Dried Mycelium Formulation of an Indigenous Strain of Metarhizium anisopliae Against Subterranean Pests of Cranberry

We demonstrated that a dried mycelium formulation of an indigenous strain of Metarhizium anisopliae has good potential as an effective biopesticide against the black vine weevil (BVW), Otiorhynchus sulcatus (F.), and the cranberry girdler (CG), Chrysoteuchia topiaria (Zeller). The formulation was produced at moderate sized batches scales (~ 100g product per batch) using inexpensive and easily obtainable equipment (< US$1000). Levels of conidiation were consistent among production batches and storage intervals with the product remaining viable for long time periods at 4&#176;C, in one case for more than a year. Levels of contamination by yeasts and other benign fungi were also consistent. Fewer BVW and CG were found in small plots treated with the dried mycelium formulation than in untreated plots, but differences were not always significant. A waxmoth ( Galleria mellonella ) bait bioassay demonstrated the formulation remained viable in the soil over long time periods (> 7 months). Percentage of M. anisopliae infected waxmoth larvae was significantly affected by rate.