Indigenous fungi from Tanzania with potential for biological control of cypress tree insect pest cinara cupressi (Buckton

This study endeavored to isolate indigenous entomopathogenic fungi from Tanzania for potential application as biological agents to control Cypress aphid (Cinara cupressi) which is an economically important pest of the Cypress plantation (Cupressus lusitanica) in Lushoto Tanzania. The study isolated four species of indigenous entomopathogenic fungi from forest soils and screened for their potential entomopathogenic activity against C. cupressi. One of the isolates was found to be more potential and was identified by using rDNA to the species Paecilomyces lilacinus. Entomopathogenic activity of the Paecilomyces lilacinus was found to be comparable to that of standard commercially available entomopathogenic fungus ICIPE MA 30 Metarhizium anisopliae. The former having an LC50 of 2.387 x 1014 conidia ml-1and the later an LC50 of 1.543 x 1013 conidia ml-1 when evaluated against the C. cupressi within 7 days. However, the LC50 values are statistically similar (χ² = 41.941; df = 52; P = 0.840). Furthermore, an attempt was made to develop an alternative substrate for mass propagation of the indigenous isolate Paecilomyces lilacinus. Results indicate locally available substrate based on coconut water as most suitable among those evaluated with production of 4.0 x 108 conidia ml-1 after 16 days of cultivation. This thesis is the first study to report successful isolation and use of an indigenous entomopathogenic fungus, Paecilomyces lilacinus, for the biological control of tree insect pests in Tanzania. The results are presented as starting point for more comprehensive studies on biological control of forest insect pests in Tanzania.