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Biological control of the European cockchafer: persistence of Beauveria brongniartii after long-term applications in the Euroregion Tyrol

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Abstract

Melocont® Pilzgerste, a commercial product based on the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria brongniartii (Sacc.) Petch (Ascomycota: Hypocreales) strain BIPESCO 2, was applied at different rates and time points over a period of 24 years in East-, North- and South Tyrol (Austria and Italy) to control the European cockchafer (Melolontha melolontha L. and M. hippocastani F.). Beauveria spp. density was assessed and Beauveria spp. isolates were characterized at species and genotype level using Bloc intergenic region sequence and simple sequence repeat marker analyses. BIPESCO 2 was detected at 41 % of the treated sites, predominantly at sites where the fungus was applied at least once during the four years prior to sampling. At one site BIPESCO 2 was detected 15 years after the last treatment. Results showed that applications should be repeated to achieve good persistence of the biological control agent, and it indicated that despite intensive applications diverse populations of B. brongniartii or Beauveria spp. consortia can coexist in these habitats.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Andreas Koutny, Ing. Mag. FH Peter Frank (Agricultural chamber Tirol), P. A. Peter Neulichedl (Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry) and students of Innsbruck University, Austria for support with collecting soil samples. We are grateful to Andy Lutz (Agroscope) for support with the genetic analyses, Roland Kölliker (Agroscope) for statistical advice and Franco Widmer (Agroscope) for providing critical discussions and comments on the manuscript. The quality of the manuscript was further improved by the valuable input and recommendations of two anonymous reviewers. This project was funded by the Tyrolean Regional Government (BEAUMON, Grant Agreement No. LWSJF 0109/736) and by the European Community’s Seventh Framework Programme Grant INBIOSOIL (FP7_ENV.2011.3.1.9, Agreement No. 282767). This project was conducted at the Institute of Microbiology in Innsbruck, Austria, and at the Institute for Sustainability Sciences at Agroscope, Switzerland.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Microbiology, Leopold-Franzens University Innsbruck, Technikerstraβe 25, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria

    Johanna Mayerhofer & Hermann Strasser

  2. Molecular Ecology, Institute for Sustainability Sciences, Agroscope, Reckenholzstrasse 191, 8046, Zurich, Switzerland

    Johanna Mayerhofer & Jürg Enkerli

  3. Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry Laimburg, Laimburg 6, 39040, Ora/Auer, Italy

    Roland Zelger

Authors
  1. Johanna Mayerhofer
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  2. Jürg Enkerli
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  3. Roland Zelger
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  4. Hermann Strasser
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Correspondence to Johanna Mayerhofer.

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Handling Editor: Helen Roy.

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Mayerhofer, J., Enkerli, J., Zelger, R. et al. Biological control of the European cockchafer: persistence of Beauveria brongniartii after long-term applications in the Euroregion Tyrol. BioControl 60, 617–629 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10526-015-9671-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10526-015-9671-6

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