Isolation and Molecular Characterization of Indigenous Entomopathogenic Fungi from the Agricultural and Highland Ecosystems of Pakistan for Sustainable Pest Management
Keywords:
Entomopathogenic fungus, Biological control, Isolation, Molecular identification, ITS amplificationAbstract
Entomopathogenic fungus is the most practical alternative for insect pests in livestock and agriculture. The objectives of this study were to isolate and identify morphological and molecular strains of entomopathogenic fungi from agricultural and hilly regions of Pakistan to develop insect biocontrol technologies. Three isolates, Beauveria bassiana, Trichoderma longibrachiatum, and Purpureocillium lilacinum, were isolated from Balochistan, Punjab, and KPK. These isolates were identified with the help of their distinctive morphological characteristics. Molecular identification was executed to further validate the results of the morphological analysis. The ITS amplification of each isolate was supported by phylogenetic analysis, which revealed that sequences clustered inside the clade of their respective species. These findings increase the knowledge of the diverse ecological zones of Pakistan and lay the groundwork for developing environmentally friendly microbiological solutions for biological pest management, which would make the environment more sustainable. The successful isolation and confirmation of these fungal species from different provinces also indicates their natural presence in varied climatic and soil conditions. This baseline information can support future studies focusing on formulation, application, and field evaluation of locally existing EPF.
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