The collection in brief
The collection comprises around 3,000 isolates collected over 50 years as part of research projects. Most of the collection consists of isolates from the two genera Beauveria and Metarhizium, which were isolated from soil samples or from white grubs (larvae of Scarabaeidae). Some isolates were obtained from other insects, such as wireworms, insects belonging to other coleopteran families, or bugs. Apart from a few isolates obtained from other European countries, India, and Nepal, most of the isolates come from Switzerland.
Status
Most of the collection is made up of polyspore isolates stored in a skimmed milk solution in ULT freezers. The identities of some isolates have been confirmed at strain level by microsatellite analysis. The isolates clearly identifiable by molecular biology are mainly those marketed as biocontrol organisms or used in current biological control trials against agricultural pests.
Applications
For legal reasons, only isolates of Swiss origin are tested in trials, for example, against wireworms or the invasive Japanese beetle. Two isolates are commercially available in Switzerland as ‘active substances’ in plant protection products against different white grub species.
