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Plant-Insect Ecosystems

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Student Competition

Grad Poster Competition: P-IE, Biocontrol - Parasitoids and Pathogens

D3069: Characterization and evaluation of novel entomopathogenic fungi, Fusarium spp. efficacy against wheat stem sawfly

Monday, November 11, 2024
9:00 AM – 5:00 PM MST
Location: Phoenix Convention Center, Exhibit Hall 6, PCC
Poster Display Student Competition
 The wheat stem sawfly (WSS), Cephus cinctus Norton, is a major pest of wheat crops in Colorado and the Great Plains, causing significant economic losses. Yield losses from WSS can be due to stem boring and/or stem cutting, which causes plants to lodge.  While strategies such as the usage of solid stem wheat varieties and cultural controls offer partial effectiveness, there's a pressing need for additional sustainable measures. This study investigates characterization of natural infection of Fusarium spp. isolated from infected-WSS larvae found in wheat stubble and evaluation of the efficacy of the isolates in laboratory experiments. The fungal isolates were molecularly characterized using PCR amplification, Sanger sequencing of conserved genes (ITS, rpb2, tef1α) and phylogenetic tree analysis. Three strains, F. annulatum, F. proliferatum and F. fujikori were identified with high nucleotide similarity of 99 to 100% to  the nearest GenBank accessions. In laboratory bioassays, six treatments with Fusarium spore suspensions ranging from 10⁴ to 10⁸ spores mL⁻¹, alongside a control, exhibited significant larval mortality, with higher concentrations demonstrating increased efficacy. This research aims to develop a sustainable biocontrol method, potentially reducing reliance on chemical pesticides and enhancing wheat crop health and yield.