Encapsulation of Metarhizium brunneum as basis for an attract and kill strategy within the EU project INBIOSOIL

Abstract: The EU funded project INBIOSOIL aims at developing innovative beads containing entomopathogenic fungi (EPFs) as well as novel synergistic co-formulations of EPFs with efficacy enhancing agents to control soil-borne insect pests. We developed an EPF formulation with 80% spore survival after drying on lab scale and technical scale. Furthermore, we developed a co-formulation that is based on biopolymer beads or granules combining CO2 releasing baker’s yeast, an effective attractant compound for various insect pests, with M. brunneum aerospores (BIPESCO5 or ART 2825) as a kill component. Both components were encapsulated separately as well as co-encapsulated to implement an “attract and kill”-strategy to control wireworms and other soil-borne insect pests.