Bioactivity of Trichoderma (6-Pentyl α-pyrone)against Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Plant Protection Research Institute (PPRI) Giza – Egypt

2 Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt.

Abstract

Several Trichoderma species
are used as biocontrol agents due to their high potentiality to produce a wide
array of bioactive secondary metabolites; (some of these metabolites are low
molecular weight volatiles). Trichoderma asperellum was isolated from
the rhizosphere of Zea mays at Ismailia, which showed high antifungal and
nematoicidal activity from our preliminary experiments. Bioactivity of T. asperellum
against mite Tetranychus urticae koch was tested. Data showed that high
mortality was observed after exposure time (48 hrs.) and reached 100%. The
major volatile compound emitted from T. asperellum was identified to be
6-pentyl- α-pyrone (6PP), with rate 450 ng/µl. This high level of 6PP motivated
us to apply different concentrations of pure compound (0.125, 0.25, 0.50 and
1mM of 6PP (sigma) to find out their effect

Keywords