Abstract:
To further enhance the biological activity of
Mucor hiemalis against
Evergestis extimalis Scopoli, single-factor experiment and orthogonal array design were used to identify the carriers and additives with minimal impact on the viability of
M. hiemalis QH01. An optimized formulation of
M. hiemalis wettable powder (WP) was established. The results showed that the optimum formulation of the WP consisted of 1 × 10
8 spores/mL, 30% white carbon black (carrier), 4% sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC-Na, dispersant), 2% polyethylene glycol 6000 (PEG6000, wetting agent), and 1% ascorbic acid (V
C, ultraviolet protectant). The WP exhibited a suspension of 85.03%, a wetting time of 56 s, a pH value of 7.05, a fineness of 97.52%, and a water content of 2.33%. Stability test revealed no significant change in the viable bacteria count of the WP at the temperature ranging of 20 to 40 ℃, or the pH value ranging from 6 to 8 and the spore concentration can reach 1 × 10
8 spores/mL (
P > 0.05). After 120 minutes of ultraviolet radiation, it still retains a certain level of activity (spore concentration of 0.28 × 10
8 spores/mL). After 45 days of indoor storage, the spore concentration decreased slightly but remained at 0.77 × 10
8 spores/mL, indicating good stability. The results of indoor bioassay showed that after 5 days of treatment with 1 × 10
8 spores/mL of the WP of
Mucor hiemalis, the median lethal time (LT
50) value for the 3rd instar larvae of
Evergestis extimalis Scopoli was the lowest, at 2.1 days, highlighting its promising potential for practical application.