Efectividad de Beauveria spp. como controlador biológico de garrapatas Rhipicephalus spp. en ganado bovino en la provincia de Orellana.

Abstract

The outcome of this study was to evaluate the Beauveria spp. effectiveness as biological controller of Rhipicephalus spp. in cattle in Orellana province. For this, the research was carried out through two phases exposed to a concentration of 8x10^8 spores/ml; the first in laboratory bioassays, where seven strains of the Beauveria spp. genus were evaluated on adult ticks, selecting the two best isolates with entomopathogenic capacity. In the field phase, twelve creole dairy cattle were used, divided into four treatments as follows; T1 and T2 with Surfactant, Isolated with the highest percentage of biocontrol and 9 L of water; T3 with surfactant, combination of the two best isolates and 9 L of water and T4 as a control or witness group. In addition, the population dynamics of ticks with counts of Rhipicephalus spp. in seven body areas. For the statistical analysis, the completely randomized model was used. According to the results obtained in the in vitro tests, the best isolates of Beauveria spp. reached a mycelial growth of 75% on the eighth day and a mortality of 94.25% and 93.26% respectively, however, in tests carried out on cattle, a significant reduction in the number of ticks was observed in T1 with an acaricide control 30.81% in the fourth application. A variation was observed in the population dynamics of ticks in relation to the different body zones, where the larval stage had less resistance to Beauveria spp. effect. These results provided a basis for future research to develop beneficial measures in Rhipicephalus spp. control.