Abdelsami Ibrahim

Investigation on the Pathogenicity of Fungus Against Agonoscelis Sp Abdelsami Ibrahim

Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L) Moench) is the outstanding cereal for growing in the drier parts of tropical and subtropical regions of the world as it possesses remarkable powers of drought resistance. Sorghum is an important food and feed crop. As an energy supplier, it ranks sixth, and it is fifth in importance among cereals. Worldwide, developing countries grow 90% of the world sorghum area and produce 70% of the crop with semi-arid tropical Asia and semi-arid tropical sub-saharan Africa growing about 60% of the total area. Dura andat, Agonoscelis pubescens is a serious pest of sorghum. It occurs in a number of African countries South of the Sahara (Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Somalia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Nigeria, Gahna and Madagascar). Deuteromycetes fungi such as Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae are the most promising candidate pathogens for insect pests control because they are cheap to produce and penetrate directly through the host cuticle, an advantage in harsh climatic conditions.