Several chemical substances are used to control insects, diseases and weeds, however many of these products are toxic to mankind and the animals, besides reducing the potential of pest control by predators, parasitoids and pathogens. The integrated control using selective chemical pesticides and entomopathogenic fungi is a viable strategy, however some of these products can impact these microorganisms, reducing vegetative growth, viability and sporulation. The objectives of this work were to evaluate the effect of chemical pesticides used in the coffee crop on the entomopatogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana (isolate UEL 114), for the control of the cofee root mealybug. A fungal suspension of 1 x 10(7) viable conidia/ml was added to solutions of the products at the recommended concentrations. After 1h, conidia were inoculated onto PDA medium, and quantification of germinated conidia assessed after 20h. The vegetative growth and sporulation were appraised eight days after the fungus inoculation onto PDA medium containing the products at recommended concentrations and maintained at the temperature of 25 ± 1ºC, 12h photofase and 70 ± 10% relative humidity. The mean diameter of the colonies was measured and conidial production quantified in a Neubauer chamber. Azafenidyne, Quintozene, Symazine + Ametryne, 2,4-D, Acetochlor and Oxyfluorfen affected the conidial germination. Thiamethoxan, Imidacloprid, Carbofuran and Pencycuron were compatible; whereas Glyphosate, Dimetilurea, Azafenidine, Quintozene, Symazine + Ametryne, 2,4-D, Acetochlor and Oxyfluorfen significantly impacted vegetative growth and sporulation of B. bassiana UEL 114.
Biological control; Coffea spp.; entomopathogenic fungus; subterranean pest
