Potensi Mucor sp. dan Trichoderma sp. dari Rhizosfer di Kecamatan Kedu sebagai Agens Pengendali Hayati Entomopatogen

Abstract

The objective of this study was to obtain potential candidates of entomopathogenic biological control agents (BCAs) originating from the rhizosphere zone of cultivated plants. Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae have been commonly used and proven effective for pest control. However, these entomopathogens are relatively difficult for farmers to mass produce in the field. Meanwhile, studies exploring the potential of rhizosphere-associated fungi other than B. bassiana and M. anisopliae remain limited in Indonesia. The research involved a systematic approach consisting of exploration, isolation, and identification of entomopathogenic fungi, followed by quality assessments, including conidial density testing, viability testing, hypersensitivity reaction assays, and pathogenicity tests. The results successfully identified two effective entomopathogenic fungal species, Mucor sp. and Trichoderma sp., with high potential for the control of insect pests, particularly from the order Coleoptera. Pathogenicity tests using Tenebrio molitor larvae (mealworm) as bioindicator showed that both fungal isolates had statistically affected larval mortality, confirmed by Statistical analysis using ANOVA which showed that Mucor sp. and Trichoderma sp. had a significant effect (p < 0.05) on larval mortality, with Mucor sp. exhibiting an LD₅₀ of 2 mL and an LT₅₀ of 1 day, while Trichoderma sp. showed an LD₅₀ of 2 mL and an LT₅₀ of 2 days. These findings indicate that Mucor sp. and Trichoderma sp. are promising candidates for development as biological control agents, and may be effectively integrated into sustainable pest management strategies. The study provides new perspective of Trichoderma which is commonly used as antagonistic fungi for plant disease, to be entomopathogenic fungi.