Paper Example - Beauveria Bassiana

Beauveria bassiana is a fungus that exists in soils and acts as a parasite to most arthropod species. The fungus has various commercial uses and other harmful effects. The fungus survives in the soil is linked to multiple pathogenic adaptations and results that will be discussed in depth in the article. The article will discuss the various links that the fungus has on parasites and the effects it may possess to human beings and the possible benefits to which the fungus can provide. The fungus is commonly used as an insecticide since it is not harmful to human beings but can be a great danger to other insects because it is helpful as a parasite in most cases.

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Introduction

The fungus's scientific name is Beauveria bassiana and is commonly referred to as the white muscardine fungus. The fungus is a species in the kingdom Fungi. The scientific classification is Beauveria in the phylum Ascomycota; the subphylum is pezizomycotina of the class Sordariomycetes in the family Cordycipitaceae. The natural range of the fungus has been reported to be in various places such as parts of China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Syria, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Parts of Africa such as Algeria, Benin, Burundi, Kenya, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, The Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ghana, Guinea, Madagascar, Mali, and Morocco. (Ortiz-Urquiza et al., 2016)

The fungus is also presented in parts of Northern America such as Canada, Mexico, USA, parts of Central America and the Caribbean such as Costa Rica, Cuba, Guatemala, and Jamaica. It is also present in parts of South America such as Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and parts of Europe such as Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Italy, and Lithuania. The fungus exists in parts of the Mediterranean nations like Moldova, Poland, Portugal, Netherlands, Romania, Switzerland and parts of Spain. The fungus is also found in marine parts of New Zealand, Tonga and Papua New Guinea.

The climatic condition for the survival of the fungus has been tested over time, and particular variance in temperatures have been confirmed to bear results for their existence. Germination of the Beauveria bassiana is mostly affected by moisture situations. The fungus thrives best at temperatures of 0.5 degrees Celsius to 25 degrees, but germination and growth take place faster when water is reduced, and moisture is high. It explains the nature of germination and survival of the fungus in high moisturised environments and low water rates. (Greenfield et al., 2016)

Origin

The origin of the fungus dates back in 1835 when it was isolated by a scientist named Agostino Bassi who realised that it had destroyed and mummifo9ed a silkworm larva a condition that is known as muscardine disease. The commercial generation of the fungus was first developed and sold in 1995 under Naturalis, Mycotrol, and BotaniGard, which were the trade names at that time. Other strains were created over the years and sold commercially for their commercial benefits as pesticides. (Valero-Jimenez et al., 2016)

Beauveria bassiana has been developed as a pesticide since its spores contact the cuticles of the insect physically for it to act more efficient. In the event of its domestication, it is advised that the users of the pesticide work thorough and cover themselves when applying the pesticide. It is not a primary requirement for the insects to be in contact with the Beauveria bassiana since the spores of the fungus appeal to the insect then penetrate to its body cavity where then germination occurs. When they are in the insect, production of chemicals occurs, which includes beauvericin and oosporein as an antibiotic which are toxins that weaken the immune system of the host and then competes automatically with the intestinal bacteria. Growth of white mould on the insect's body then occurs after the death of the insect. However, the growth of mildew is not a requirement for control.

Since Beauveria bassiana is a general feeder, it then controls every stage of insects feeding on leaves including those common pests like thrips, aphids, mealybugs, caterpillars and beetles. Immature stages of the insects are sought to be more susceptible than those of the adults. A formulation for sprays is recommended to be used in field settings and greenhouses and also on edible crops. The efficiency of the survival and application of the fungus as a pesticide depends on climatic conditions. In the greenhouses, the formation of the pesticide works best in 60 per cent humidity, control of the pesticide can be achieved in about four days in a greenhouse. The commercial application of the pesticide is recommended to run to0 about seven days until there is a specific control environment that can be reached.

Commercial suspension of Beauveria bassiana spores contains a one-year shelf lifespan when kept at room temperature and can even stay longer if kept in a refrigerator. The fungus should not be kept below a temperature of 0F, or higher than 85 F. Mixes of the spray should be used immediately after mixing since the spores can't live in a water environment for more than a day. The funguses are also susceptible to destruction from UV light. The spores of the pesticide can remain for a more extended period when used to undersides of the leaf or in the evening because of reduced exposure to sunlight, which is not conducive for their survival.

The fungus is regarded to be safe for advantageous insects, although direct spraying is avoided in areas where there is foraging of bees. Direct spray in areas with bees is not recommended because once the bees are contacted, they end up bringing spores into the hive, which in turn infects susceptible brood. Beauveria bassiana can be used together with recommended formulations such as Organic Material Institute for pest control. The fungus can be used with other insecticides in tank mixing, but it should never be used with other fungicides.

The application of the fungus can be used by using various high-end sprayers, although it is recommended to adjusting the sprayer to include better coverage and the reduction of risks of leaves run-off. It is essential too that after every application, the sprayers used should be cleaned thoroughly to avoid infection of the spores by other pesticides and also because any residue in the sprayer can destroy the spores before their application. The application of the pesticide is one that requires urgent measures because any mistake can lead to drastic losses, especially if the spores are destroyed. Cleaning of the spray tanks is recommended to ensure that there are no residues left for more than 24 hours because they can destroy and kill the spores of the pesticide when used the next day.

There haven't been any issues with child labour or slavery with the harvest and commercialisation of the fungus pesticide. The pesticide requires careful handling, and the procedural processes that involve the pesticide are only done in laboratories, and therefore, cases of child labour and slavery have not been experienced in this case. As noted earlier, the methods of application of the pesticides are only used on undersides of the leaves where the pests are visible and maximum care should be taken, especially in environments where bees are available. The fungus has no harmful effects on human beings, and it is regarded as good pesticides for pests. The fungus can be created as pesticide through isolations by professional scientists who understand their nature and knows the climatic conditions to which they can survive. Care for the materials used in the formation of the pesto9cdes should be handled with care to avoid any possible contamination in the process. Cleaning of the spray tanks is the most important steps that users should consider after spraying since any residues can be dangerous to further application of the fungus. Residues are considered harmful because once they are dead, they can result in harming the spores that will be applied afterwards.

Conclusion

Beauveria bassiana is a type of fungus that has been discovered to be very beneficial, especially in the control of pests. The fungus operates in humid temperatures with low water and fewer UV lights. The fungus was first isolated in 1835 and since its commercialization has spread over the world because of its ability to contain pesticides. The pesticide should not directly be applied in areas with bees because the fungus grows within them, leading to the brooding of the other cells. The fungus is not harmful to human beings, but careful handling of the pesticide is recommended because the fungus grows fast and can destroy the fresh spores in an application.

References

Greenfield, M., Gomez-Jimenez, M. I., Ortiz, V., Vega, F. E., Kramer, M., & Parsa, S. (2016). Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae endophytically colonize cassava roots following soil drench inoculation. Biological control, 95, 40-48.

Ortiz-Urquiza, A., & Keyhani, N. O. (2016). Molecular genetics of Beauveria bassiana infection of insects. In Advances in Genetics (Vol. 94, pp. 165-249). Academic Press.

Valero-Jimenez, C. A., Wiegers, H., Zwaan, B. J., Koenraadt, C. J., & van Kan, J. A. (2016). Genes involved in virulence of the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology, 133, 41-49.