Abstract
The cattle tick, Rhipicephalus microplus (Acari: Ixodidae), is a multi-billion dollar ectoparasite of global importance affecting beef and milk production. Submerged cultures of cosmopolitan entomopathogenic fungal species of the genus Metarhizium typically produce microsclerotia that provide both long-term survival and environmental resistance. Microsclerotia hold great potential as an unconventional active propagule to control this tick under laboratory and semi-field conditions. However, heat stress caused especially by elevated temperatures poses a critical environmental constraint for the successful development and efficacy of microsclerotia under tropical conditions. First, we screened six strains of Metarhizium anisopliae, Metarhizium robertsii and Metarhizium humberi for their ability to produce microsclerotia by submerged liquid cultivation. In addition, we assessed the biological fitness and bioefficacy of dried microsclerotial pellets under amenable (27 °C) and heat-stressed (32 °C) incubation against engorged adult females of R. microplus. Microsclerotia in pelletized formulation prepared with carriers based on diatomaceous earth and microcrystalline cellulose exhibited conidial production at different extents according to the fungal strain and the incubation temperature, but most strains displayed reduced sporogenesis when exposed to 32 °C. Engorged tick females exposed to sporulated microsclerotia from pelletized M. anisopliae CG47 or IP 119 had fewer number of hatching larvae in comparison to the control group, irrespective of the incubation temperature tested. The minimum dosage of microsclerotial pellets that effectively reduced hatchability of tick larvae was estimated to be 2 mg per plate (equivalent to 6.0 kg per hectare). Metarhizium microsclerotial pellets exhibited significant tolerance to 32 °C and pronounced acaricidal activity against this economically important ectoparasite of cattle, even under simulated environmental heat stress.
Key points
• Heat stress affects conidial production by microsclerotia of most pelletized Metarhizium strains
• Heat stress does not impair the acaricidal performance of pelletized microsclerotia
• Pellet formulation of Metarhizium microsclerotia is a promising mycoacaricide
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Data availability
The datasets generated and analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding authors on reasonable request.
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Acknowledgements
We are grateful to Dr. Richard A. Humber (USDA/ARS, Ithaca, NY, USA) for providing the fungal strain ARSEF 2575 and ARSEF 1883, and for the critical review of this manuscript.
Funding
This study was funded by 1) Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior of Brazil (CAPES) of Brazil for providing MSc scholarships for T.R. Santos and E.R. Muniz; 2) Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) of Brazil (484329/2012–0). CNPq also provided MSc scholarships for F.R.S. Paixão and A.M.L. Catão, and the grants PQ 308850/2015–7 for É.K.K. Fernandes, and PQ 308189/2013–2 for C. Luz.
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GMM, CL, RNM and ÉKKF conceived and designed research. FRSP, TRS, ALP and ERM conducted experiments. FRSP and GMM analyzed data. ÉKKF, CL and RNM acquired funding. GMM and ÉKKF supervised the project. FRSP, ERM, GMM and ÉKKF wrote the manuscript. All authors revised and approved the manuscript.
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da Paixão, F.R.S., Muniz, E.R., Catão, A.M.L. et al. Microsclerotial pellets of Metarhizium spp.: thermotolerance and bioefficacy against the cattle tick. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 107, 2263–2275 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-023-12467-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-023-12467-7