Abstract

Metarhizium anisopliae is among the ubiquitous members of the soil rhizosphere which also survives as an endophyte in a wide range of plants. The extent of colonization depends on the plant part evaluated and inoculation method used. Current research reveals that foliar spray favours leaf colonization, whereas soil drenching favours root colonization. Besides M. anisopliae, many other fungal isolates were recovered as endophyte which was found to be endosymbiont with each other. Infestation of aphid, Toxoptera aurantii; tea mosquito bug, Helopeltis theivora; termite, Odontotermes obesus; red spider mite, Oligonychus coffeae and carpenter worm, Prionoxystus robiniae was found less in the treated plot as compared to the untreated control. System season long endophytic colonization with the plants suggests a novel approach of biological control of these pests via foliar spray with M. anisopliae for aerial pests and soil drench for soil arthropods. The same entomopathogen was also further confirmed by light and electron microscopic techniques inside the host plant. Molecular study showed that the original culture and endophytic reisolated culture of M. anisopliae were 100% identical to each other.