White Muscardine Fungus, Beauveria bassiana (Hypocreales): Role in Plant Protection and Techniques for Mass Production and Cultivation – A Review

Abstract

The white muscardine fungus, Beauveria bassiana, is a well-known entomopathogenic fungus with great potential in integrated pest management strategies. Its ability to infect and control a wide range of insect pests and its environmentally friendly profile have positioned it as a valuable tool for sustainable agriculture. This review provides a concise overview of the techniques and considerations for the mass production and cultivation of Beauveria bassiana. The successful mass production of Beauveria bassiana relies on various factors, including strain selection, culture media, environmental conditions, and bioreactor design. This review also outlines vital methodologies and strategies to optimize the growth and sporulation of the fungus, ensuring a high-quality product for pest control applications. Furthermore, the cultivation of Beauveria bassiana in liquid fermentation, solid-state fermentation, and submerged fermentation systems is discussed, along with their respective advantages and limitations. Different substrates, nutritional requirements, and aeration parameters are highlighted in these cultivation methods, allowing for a better understanding of the most suitable approach for specific applications

DOI

https://doi.org/10.29321/MAJ.10.701204

Pages

103 - 117

Creative Commons

Copyright

© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Madras Agricultural Students' Union in Madras Agricultural Journal (MAJ). This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited by the user.

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