ABSTRACT
Action of pesticides on entomopathogens may cause harmful effects to them, the use of chemicals more compatible to these natural enemies being needed. When utilized indiscriminately chemicals may alter the development of entomopathogenic fungi, decreasing their efficiency, favoring thus the pest’s population increase. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of the pesticides imidacloprid (Confidor), thiamethoxam (Actara), fenpropathrin (Meothrin) and iprodione (Rovral) on the germination, vegetative growth, sporulation and pathogenicity of the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana. The fungus was inoculated in PDA medium containing the chemicals for further evaluation of the mean diameter of the colony and sporulation. The germination percentage of the conidia produced was measured by means of viability test in PDA medium after 20 hours and pathogenitcity through bioassays performed with the insect Galleria melonella. The chemicals imidacloprid and thiamethoxam were compatible with the fungus in all evaluated parameters. Fenpropathrin reduced the vegetative growth and sporulation of the fungus. The product least compatible to the pathogen was iprodione, which affected the evaluated parameters, except germination.
KEY WORDS:
Microbial control; compatibility; entomopathogenic fungi.