The optimum and tolerance pH range is correlated to colonial morphology in isolates of the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana: a potential biopesticide

Beauveria bassiana is an insect pathogenic fungus used as a biopesticide in crop pest management. It exists saprophytically in the soil. The pH of the soil and the insect cuticle and its haemocoel may influence fungal survival and infection potential. Therefore the tolerance and optimum pH ranges were studied in 29 isolates of B. bassiana. Germination and growth bioassays in liquid culture medium adjusted to pH values in the range 3-14 at unit intervals were studied. A pH of 3 was found to be toxic to all isolates - conidia germinated at this pH but growth was totally inhibited. All isolates tolerated a pH of 5-13. Some isolates showed tolerance to a pH of 4 and/or 14 as well. Sixteen isolates showed a wide range of pH optimum of 5-13 while others had a narrower optimal range. The relation of the pH tolerance and optimum range of an isolate to its phenotypic characters (colonial morphology and growth-rate) was studied. All isolates with a 'chalky' type colonial morphology had an intermediate growth rate and showed a wide optimum range of pH 5-13 or 5-14. All isolates with 'dusty' type colonial morphology were found to have a high growth rate and a wide pH tolerance range of 4-14. Both chalky and dusty colonial morphology are due to a growth pattern characterized by iterated conidiation with a very brief hyphal stage. The correlation observed between these traits based on external phenotype would facilitate prediction of the pH tolerance characters of an isolate of B. bassiana. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]