Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Beauveria bassiana Enhances the Growth of Cowpea Plants and Increases the Mortality of Cerotoma arcuata

  • Short Communication
  • Published:
Current Microbiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) crops stand out for their efficient adaptation to edaphoclimatic conditions. Insect pests, such as the leaf beetle Cerotoma arcuata, are among the main factors that limit cowpea yield. Chemical control methods are commonly used to control such pests; however, biological methods are an alternative to reduce the indiscriminate use of conventional pesticides. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of Beauveria bassiana inoculation on the growth and physiological parameters of the cowpea plant and assess the influence of the inoculation on the feeding performance and survival of C. arcuata adults. Colonization by B. bassiana was recorded in the stems (63.89%), roots (45.83%), and leaves (25%) of the cowpea plant. It was found that B. bassiana enhanced the plant height, number of leaves, and the dry mass of the inoculated cowpea plants as compared to the control. The treated plants exhibited higher net carbon dioxide (CO2) assimilation rates in the gas exchange evaluation as well as higher stomatal conductance, evapotranspiration rates, and chlorophyll (a + b) content than the control plants. Moreover, the Kaplan–Meier survival analysis showed that the B. bassiana negatively affected the survival of the insect in the leaf disc assays.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Data Availability

The data and materials used in the study are available on request from the authors.

References

  1. FAO (2019) FAOSTAT. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

  2. Rêgo MCF, Cardoso AF, da Ferreira TC, de Filippi MCC, Batista TFV, Viana RG, da Silva GB et al (2018) The role of rhizobacteria in rice plants: growth and mitigation of toxicity. J Integr Agric 17:2636–2647. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2095-3119(18)62039-8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Júnior ALM, da Silva Pereira PRV (2013) Flutuação populacional de insetos-praga na cultura do feijão-caupi no estado de Roraima, Brazil. Rev Acad Cien Anim 11:13–18

    Google Scholar 

  4. de Souza DJ, Pachoute J (2019) Occurrence and feeding preference of Diabrotica speciosa Germar and Cerotoma arcuata (Olivier) for different cultivars of cowpea Vigna unguiculata (Linnaeus) Walpers. EntomoBrasilis 12:103–107. https://doi.org/10.12741/ebrasilis.v12i3.855

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Stenberg JA (2017) A conceptual framework for integrated pest management. Trends Plant Sci 22:759–769. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tplants.2017.06.010

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Jaber LR, Enkerli J (2016) Effect of seed treatment duration on growth and colonization of Vicia faba by endophytic Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium brunneum. Biol Control 103:187–195. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocontrol.2016.09.008

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Canassa F, Tall S, Moral RA, Lara IARd, Delalibera I, Meyling NV (2019) Effects of bean seed treatment by the entomopathogenic fungi Metarhizium robertsii and Beauveria bassiana on plant growth, spider mite populations and behavior of predatory mites. Biol Control 132:199–208. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocontrol.2019.02.003

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Orole OO, Adejumo TO (2009) Activity of fungal endophytes against four maize wilt pathogens. Afr J Microbiol Res 3:969–973

    Google Scholar 

  9. Tefera T, Vidal S (2009) Effect of inoculation method and plant growth medium on endophytic colonization of sorghum by the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana. Biocontrol 54:663–669. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10526-009-9216-y

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Ownley BH, Pereira RM, Klingeman WE, Quigley N, Brian L (2004) Beauveria bassiana, a dual purpose biocontrol organism, with activity against insect pests and plant pathogens. Emerg Concepts Plant Heal Manag Res Signpost, India. pp 255–269

  11. Jaber LR, Ownley BH (2018) Can we use entomopathogenic fungi as endophytes for dual biological control of insect pests and plant pathogens? Biol Control 116:36–45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocontrol.2017.01.018

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Parsa S, Ortiz V, Vega FE (2013) Establishing fungal entomopathogens as endophytes: towards endophytic biological control. JVE. https://doi.org/10.3791/50360

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Freire Filho FR, dos Santos AA, Cardoso MJ, Silva PHS, Ribeiro VQ (1994) 17-Gurgueia: nova cultivar de caupi com resistência a virus para o Piauí. Embrapa Meio-Norte-Comunicado Técnico (INFOTECA-E). Br

  14. Latch GCM, Christensen MJ (1985) Artificial infection of grasses with endophytes. Ann Appl Biol 107:17–24. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-7348.1985.tb01543.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Rodrigues LU, Nascimento VL, Peluzio JM, Santos ACMD, Silva RRD (2019) Morphophysiological and grain yield responses to foliar and soil application of boric acid on soybean. Commun Soil Sci Plant Anal 50:1640–1651. https://doi.org/10.1080/00103624.2019.1631331

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Dash CK, Bamisile BS, Keppanan R, Qasim M, Lin Y, Islam SU, Hussain M, Wang L (2018) Endophytic entomopathogenic fungi enhance the growth of Phaseolus vulgaris L. (Fabaceae) and negatively affect the development and reproduction of Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae). Microb Pathog 125:385–392. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.micpath.2018.09.044

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Ferreira DF (2011) Sisvar: a computer statistical analysis system. Ciênc agrotec 35:1039–1042. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1413-70542011000600001

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Behie SW, Jones SJ, Bidochka MJ (2015) Plant tissue localization of the endophytic insect pathogenic fungi Metarhizium and Beauveria. Fungal Ecol 13:112–119. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.funeco.2014.08.001

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Akutse KS, Maniania NK, Fiaboe KKM, Van den Berg J, Ekesi S (2013) Endophytic colonization of Vicia faba and Phaseolus vulgaris (Fabaceae) by fungal pathogens and their effects on the life-history parameters of Liriomyza huidobrensis (Diptera: Agromyzidae). Fungal Ecol 6:293–301. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.funeco.2013.01.003

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Maketon M, Chakanya N, Prem-Udomkit K, Maketon C (2013) Interaction between entomopathogenic fungi and some aphid species in Thailand. Gesunde Pflanz 65:93–105. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10343-013-0302-9

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Lopez DC, Sword GA (2015) The endophytic fungal entomopathogens Beauveria bassiana and Purpureocillium lilacinum enhance the growth of cultivated cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) and negatively affect survival of the cotton bollworm (Helicoverpa zea). Biol Control 89:53–60. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocontrol.2015.03.010

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Berg G (2009) Plant–microbe interactions promoting plant growth and health: perspectives for controlled use of microorganisms in agriculture. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 84:11–18. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-009-2092-7

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Pierik R, Tholen D, Poorter H, Visser EJ, Voesenek LA (2006) The Janus face of ethylene: growth inhibition and stimulation. Trends Plant Sci 11:176–183. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tplants.2006.02.006

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Nelson N (2011) Photosystems and global effects of oxygenic photosynthesis. Biochim Biophys Acta 1807:856–863. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbabio.2010.10.011

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Mielke MS, Schaffer B (2010) Leaf gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence and pigment indexes of Eugenia uniflora L. in response to changes in light intensity and soil flooding. Tree Physiol 30:45–55. https://doi.org/10.1093/treephys/tpp095

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Garriga M, Retamales JB, Romero-Bravo S, Caligari PD, Lobos GA (2014) Chlorophyll, anthocyanin, and gas exchange changes assessed by spectroradiometry in Fragaria chiloensis under salt stress. J Integr Plant Biol 56:505–515. https://doi.org/10.1111/jipb.12193

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Gago J, Daloso DM, Carriquí M, Nadal M, Morales M, Araújo WL, Nunes-Nesi A, Perera-Castro AV, Clemente-Moreno MJ, Flexas J (2020) The photosynthesis game is in the “inter-play”: mechanisms underlying CO2 diffusion in leaves. Environ Exp Bot. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envexpbot.2020.104174,104174

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Muvea AM, Meyhöfer R, Maniania NK, Poehling H-M, Ekesi S, Subramanian S (2015) Behavioral responses of Thrips tabaci Lindeman to endophyte-inoculated onion plants. J Pest Sci 88:555–562. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10340-015-0645-3

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Hartley SE, Gange AC (2009) Impacts of plant symbiotic fungi on insect herbivores: mutualism in a multitrophic context. Annu Rev Entomol 54:323–342. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.ento.54.110807.090614

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. White JF Jr, Torres MS (2010) Is plant endophyte-mediated defensive mutualism the result of oxidative stress protection? Physiol Plant 138:440–446. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1399-3054.2009.01332.x

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Powell WA, Klingeman WE, Ownley BH, Gwinn KD (2009) Evidence of endophytic Beauveria bassiana in seed-treated tomato plants acting as a systemic entomopathogen to larval Helicoverpa zea (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). J Entomol Sci 44:391–396. https://doi.org/10.18474/0749-8004-44.4.391

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We want to express our sincere thanks to Dr. Manoel Mota dos Santos for providing the cowpea seeds.

Funding

This study was supported by the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico – CNPq, Grant 403708-2013-3) and was financed in part by the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)), Brazil (Finance Code 001).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Plant Production Graduate Program, Universidade Federal do Tocantins, Campus Gurupi, Gurupi, TO, 77410-530, Brazil

    Julner Pachoute, Vitor L. Nascimento & Danival José de Souza

  2. Plant Physiology Sector, Biology Department, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Lavras, MG, 37200-900, Brazil

    Vitor L. Nascimento

Authors
  1. Julner Pachoute
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Vitor L. Nascimento
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Danival José de Souza
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

All authors contributed to the conception and design of this study. Material preparation, data collection, and analysis were performed by JP, VLN, and DJS. JP wrote the first draft of the manuscript and all authors commented on the previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Danival José de Souza.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare that are relevant to the content of this article.

Ethical Approval

This manuscript describes the experiments on the insect Cerotoma arcuata, a critical pest widespread in Latin America. Terrestrial invertebrates considered as agricultural pests, vectors of diseases, or biological control agents do not require any special authorization from the Brazilian Environmental Agency for Creation and Studies (INSTRUÇÃO NORMATIVA IBAMA No. 07, DE 30 DE ABRIL DE 2015). No other animal groups were used in this study.

Consent for Publication

All co-authors have read the final draft of this manuscript and agree with its publication.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Supplementary Information

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary file1 (DOCX 1651 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Pachoute, J., Nascimento, V.L. & de Souza, D.J. Beauveria bassiana Enhances the Growth of Cowpea Plants and Increases the Mortality of Cerotoma arcuata. Curr Microbiol 78, 3762–3769 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-021-02638-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-021-02638-y

Search

Navigation