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Characterization of entomopathogenic fungi from vineyards in Argentina with potential as biological control agents against the European grapevine moth Lobesia botrana

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Abstract

Biological control by entomopathogenic fungi is a possible alternative to chemical insecticides. As the grapevine moth Lobesia botrana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), recently introduced in Argentina, is now the major pest in most of the vineyards in the country despite quarantine regulations, native entomopathogenic fungi could be a preferable alternative to current synthetic insecticides. Thus, the aim of this study was to characterize native fungus strains isolated from 45 soil samples, using larvae of L. botrana as bait insect, and infected arthropods from the wine-growing region in the west of Argentina. Sixteen strains were identified, belonging to two species: four strains to Beauveria bassiana (Hypocreales: Cordycipitaceae) and 12 strains to Metarhizium robertsii (Hypocreales: Clavicipitaceae). Based on their physiological features, M. robertsii strains collected from the west region of Argentina seem to be the most tolerant to the high temperatures specific to this region. Therefore, being well adapted to Argentinean climate conditions, some of the native M. robertsii could be proposed as biological control agents against L. botrana.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the following individuals for their cooperation, courtesy and help in the creation of this paper: Laura Torres Monteiro, Sylvie Richart Cervera, Pascale Roux, Laura García, María López Plantey, Jonathan Gaudin, Juliette Poidatz, Antonella Balloni, Andrés Riquelme, Josefina Zuin Segura and Aurélia Nivault. Additionally, we thank the following institutions for their financial cooperation: Coorporation Vitivinicola Argentina (COVIAR), Universidad Nacional de Cuyo (SeCTyP) and INRA-Bordeaux.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratorio de Fitopatología, IBAM, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Almirante Brown 500, Chacras de Coria, M5528AHB, Argentina

    Rodrigo López Plantey, Pablo H. Pizzuolo & Gabriela Susana Lucero

  2. UMR-SAVE, INRA/Bordeaux Sciences Agro, Villenave-d’Ornon, France

    Daciana Papura, Carole Couture & Denis Thiéry

  3. IBAM, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Almirante Brown 500, Chacras de Coria, M5528AHB, Argentina

    María Victoria Bertoldi

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  1. Rodrigo López Plantey
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  2. Daciana Papura
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  3. Carole Couture
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  4. Denis Thiéry
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  5. Pablo H. Pizzuolo
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  6. María Victoria Bertoldi
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  7. Gabriela Susana Lucero
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Correspondence to Rodrigo López Plantey.

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López Plantey, R., Papura, D., Couture, C. et al. Characterization of entomopathogenic fungi from vineyards in Argentina with potential as biological control agents against the European grapevine moth Lobesia botrana. BioControl 64, 501–511 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10526-019-09955-z

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