An update of a green pesticide: Metarhizium anisopliae

Abstract

Metarhizium anisopliae (Hypocreales: Clavicipitaceae, M. anisopliae), as an invertebrate fungal pathogen, has played a significant role in the control of many agricultural pests and human disease vectors. M. anisopliae is typically used as a chemical in dry or liquid formulations of large numbers of aerial conidia. The conidia can directly infect arthropod pests by penetrating their cuticular layer. The availability of the complete genome of M. anisopliae and capable techniques for its transformation have brought several developments in its use as a pest controller. For prospects, more in-depth research to improve fermentation and formulation technologies is needed, while multistress-tolerant and engineering entomopathogenic strains are selected to promote the widespread acceptance and usefulness of M. anisopliae as a cost-effective fungal biopesticide. Here, we provide an overview of the pathogenesis and formulation strategies, as well as the host ranges and molecular approaches of increasing virulence and efficacy. Several studies of this fungus pathogen demonstrated that M. anisopliae can be an efficient biocontrol agent and has great potential for further research and development.

Keywords

• metarhizium anisopliae
• pesticide
• pathogenesis
• toxin
• formulation
• virulence