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ARS Home » Plains Area » Sidney, Montana » Northern Plains Agricultural Research Laboratory » Pest Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #264992
Title: Abundance of soil-borne entomopathogenic fungi in organic and conventional fields in the Midwestern USA with an emphasis on the effect of herbicides and fungicides on fungal persistence

Author
item CLIFTON, ERIC - Iowa State University
item GASSMAN, AARON - Iowa State University
item HODGSON, ERIN - Iowa State University
item Jaronski, Stefan

Submitted to: PLOS ONE
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/30/2015
Publication Date: 7/20/2015
Citation: Clifton, E., Gassman, A., Hodgson, E., Jaronski, S. 2015. Abundance of soil-borne entomopathogenic fungi in organic and conventional fields in the Midwestern USA with an emphasis on the effect of herbicides and fungicides on fungal persistence. PLoS One. 10(7):e0133613. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0133613.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Naturally-occurring entomopathogenic fungi provide a valued service of killing agricultural pests and subduing pest outbreaks. Species such as Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae have been researched in many experiments and have proven to be effective pathogens. This research will focus on comparing abundance of the fungi in organic and conventional agriculture. Soil from organic and conventional fields (preferably those growing corn and soybean) will be surveyed in the summer and early fall of 2011 and 2012 and returned to the lab for analysis. Fungi will be quantified by baiting with live insects, including species like Diabrotica virgifera, and by counting colony forming units on selective plate media for Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae. An additional laboratory experiment will test the direct effects of popular herbicides and fungicides on the abundance of entomopathogenic fungi in the soil samples. We hypothesize that organic farming methods better suit populations of soil-borne entomopathogenic fungi and that conventional farming methods, coupled with the use of chemicals, have a directly negative impact on these fungi populations. A better understanding of these organisms is an essential step towards the development of a more robust integrated pest management.