Agronomy Science, przyrodniczy lublin, czasopisma up, czasopisma uniwersytet przyrodniczy lublin
Skip to main navigation menu Skip to main content Skip to site footer
Agronomy Science Baner text

Vol. 81 No. 3 (2026)

Research paper

Seasonal dominance of Metarhizium spp. in soils of cereal monocultures in Eastern Poland

DOI: https://doi.org/10.24326/as.2026.5681
Submitted: March 17, 2026
Published: 09.10.2026

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the generic composition and the intensity of entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) occurrence in soils cultivated in cereal monocultures in eastern Poland. Soil samples were collected from an individ-ual farm located in the northern part of the Lublin Voivodeship, in the Janów Podlaski commune, in spring and autumn 2024 and spring 2025. A composite sample weighing about 1 kg of soil was created from soil samples taken from fifteen locations at each study site, including arable land where cereals were farmed in monoculture, forest soil, and former agricultural wasteland for comparison.
The entomopathogenic fungi from individual soil samples were isolated using the selective medium method devel-oped by Strasser et al. At each study date, pHKCl in the collected soil samples was determined potentiometrically. The presence of EPFs from the genera Beauveria, Metarhizium, and Cordyceps was demonstrated in the studied soils. Their occurrence intensity depended on the cultivated plant species and the date of soil sampling. Evaluating the mean CFU density of the studied EPF genera, only for soils cultivated in cereal monoculture, demonstrated that Metarhizium spp. exhibited the greatest resistance to monoculture cultivation. This indicates that EPF from this genus are highly resistant to agronomic treatments, including mineral fertilization and pesticide protection.

References

  1. Augustyniuk-Kram A., Kram K.J., 2012. Entomopathogenic fungi as an important natural regulator of insect outbreaks in forest (Review). In: J.A. Blanco, Y.-H. Lo (eds.), Forest Ecosystems – More than Just Trees, IntechOpen, Rijeka, 265–294.
  2. Barros-Rodríguez A., Rangseekae P., Lasudee K. et al., 2021. Impacts of agriculture on the environment and soil microbial biodiversity. Plants 10, 2325. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10112325
  3. Bruck D.J., Lewis L.C., 2002. Rainfall and crop residue effects on soil dispersion and Beauveria bassiana spread to corn. Appl. Soil Ecol. 20, 183–190.
  4. Chaparro J.M., Badri D.V., Vivanco J.M., 2014. Rhizosphere microbiome assemblage is affected by plant development. ISME J. 28, 790–803. https://doi.org/10.1038/ismej.2013.196
  5. Chen T., Nomura K., Wang X. et al., 2020. A plant genetic network for preventing dysbiosis in the phyllosphere. Nature, 580(7805), 653–657. https://doi.org/ 10.1038/s41586-020-2185-0
  6. Dara S.K., 2017. Insect resistance to biopesticides. University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources e Journal Strawberries and Vegetables. https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=25819 [date of access: 6.12.2017]
  7. Dunn L., Dequiedt S., Djemiel Ch. et al., 2025. Impact of farming practices on soil microbial biomass: An international syn-thesis. Agric. Ecosyst. Environ. 383, 109513. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2025.109513
  8. Dzięgielewska M., Adamska I., 2020. Survey of entomopathogenic nematodes and fungi in agricultural areas. Plant Protect. Sci. 56, 214–225. https://doi.org/10.17221/7/2019-PPS
  9. Egidi E., Bristol D., Hassan K., 2025. The influence of plant traits on soil microbial communities varies between arid and mesic grasslands. Plant Soil 509, 501–521. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-024-06876-4
  10. Gao Y-P., Luo M., Wang X-Y., He XZ., Lu W., Zheng X-L., 2022. Pathogenicity of Beauveria bassiana PfBb and Immune Re-sponses of a Non-Target Host, Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Insects 13(10), 914. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects13100914
  11. Gorczyca A., Galon A., Tatoj A. et al., 2018. Occurrence of entomopathogenic fungi in agricultural and natural soils in south-eastern Poland. J. Res. Appl. Agric. Eng. 63(2), 63–67.
  12. Jarmuł-Pietraszczyk J., Kamionek M., Kania I., 2011. Oc¬currence of entomopathogenic fungi in selected parks and urban forests of the Warsaw District Ursynow. Ecol. Chem. Eng. A. 18, 1571–1574.
  13. Karg J., Bałazy S., 2009. Wpływ struktury krajobrazu na występowanie agrofagów i ich antagonistów w uprawach rolni-czych. Prog. Plant Prot. 49(3), 1015–1034.
  14. Keller S., Zimmermann G., 1989. Mycopathogens of soil insects. In: N. Wilding, N.M. Collins, P.M. Hammond et al. (eds.), Insect–Fungus Interactions, Academic Press, London, 239–270. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-751800-8.50016-1
  15. Kierzek R., Sosnowska D., Pruciak-Nowak A., 2024. Impact of tillage and no-tillage cultivation on the occurrence of ento-mopathogenic fungi in soil with integrated plant protection. J. Plant Prot. Res. 64(4), 402–411. https://doi.org/10.24425/jppr.2024.151823
  16. Konopická J., Bohatá A., Palevsky E. et al. , 2022. Survey of entomopathogenic and mycoparasitic fungi in the soil of onion and garlic fields in the Czech Republic and Israel. J. Plant Dis. Prot. 129, 271–281. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41348-021-00557-5
  17. Kovač M., Tkaczuk C., Pernek M., 2021. First report of entomopathogenic fungi occurrence in forest soils in Croatia. Forests 12(12), 1690. https://doi.org/10.3390/f12121690
  18. Kuźniar A., Włodarczyk K., Gromadzka P. et al., 2021. Aktualny stan wiedzy na temat biopreparatów stosowanych w rolnictwie. Wyd. Lublin, 32.
  19. Landa Z., Horňák P., Charvátová H. Et al., 2002. Distribution, occurrence and potential use of entomopathogenic fungi in arable soils in Czech Republic. In: Proceedings of international conference ISTRO “Current trends in the research of soil environment”, 195–201.
  20. Li P.D., Zhu Z.R., Zhang Y. et al., 2022. The phyllosphere microbiome shifts toward combating melanose pathogen. Micro-biome 10, 56. https://doi.org/ 10.1186/s40168-022-01234-x
  21. Majchrowska-Safaryan A., 2022. Występowanie grzybów entomopatogenicznych w glebach murszowo-glejowych doliny rzecznej Liwca. Prog. Plant Prot. 62(2), 91–99.
  22. Majchrowska-Safaryan A., Tkaczuk C., Baj-Wójtowicz B., 2023. Occurrence of entomopathogenic fungi in the soils of habi-tats of various use. Agron. Sci. 78(1), 5–18. https://doi.org/10.24326/as.2023.4956
  23. Majchrowska-Safaryan A., Tkaczuk C., 2021. Abundance of entomopathogenic fungi in leaf litter and soil layers in forested habitats in Poland. Insects 12(2), 134. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects12020134
  24. Majchrowska-Safaryan A., Tkaczuk C., Findura P. et al., 2025. Occurrence of entomopathogenic fungi in cultivated soils in Slovakia in the intensive agricultural system production. Agron. Sci. 80 (2), 31–43. https://doi.org/10.24326/as.2025.5537
  25. Mccoy C.W., Greggory K., Storey S. et al., 1992. Nvironmental factors affecting entomopathogenic fungi in the soil. Pesq. Agropec. Bras. 27, 107–111.
  26. Medo J., Cagáň Ĺ., 2011. Factors affecting the occurrence of entomopathogenic fungi in soils of Slovakia as revealed using two methods. Biol. Control 59(2), 200–208. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocontrol.2011.07.020
  27. Nelly N., Syahrawati M., Hamid H. et al., 2019. Diversity and characterization of entomopathogenic fungi from rhizosphere of maize plants as potential biological control agents. Biodiversitas Journal of Biological Diversity, 20 (5), 1435–1441. https://doi.org/10.13057/biodiv/d200536
  28. Nishi O., Sato H., 2019. Isolation of Metarhizium spp. from rhizosphere soils of wild plants reflects fungal diversity in soil but not plant specificity. Mycology 10, 22–31. https://doi.org/10.1080/21501203.2018.1524799
  29. Popowska-Nowak E., Skrzecz I., Tumialis D. et al., 2016. Entomopathogenic fungi in the soils of forest plantations: towards the control of large pine weevil, Hylobius abietis. Baltic For. 22, 8–15.
  30. Quesada-Moraga E., Navas-Cortés J.A., Maranhao E.A.A. et al., 2007. Factors affecting the occurrence and distribution of entomopathogenic fungi in natural and cultivated soils. Mycol. Res. 111(8), 947–966. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mycres.2007.06.006
  31. Sharma A., Sharma S., Yadav P.K. 2023. Entomopathogenic fungi and their relevance in sustainable agriculture. Cogent Food Agric. 9(1), 2180857. https://doi.org 10.1080/23311932.2023.2180857
  32. Steinwender B.M., Enkerli J., Widmer F. et al., 2015. Root isola¬tions of Metarhizium spp. from crops reflect diversity in the soil and indicate no plant specificity. J. Invert. Pathol. 132, 142–148. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jip.2015.09.007
  33. Strasser H., Forer A., Schinner F., 1996. Development of media for the selective isolation and maintenance of virulence of Beauveria brongniartii. In: T.A. Jackson, T.R. Glare (eds.), Microbial control of soil dwelling pests. AgResearch, Lincoln, New Zealand, 125–130.
  34. Tkaczuk C., 2008. Occurrence and infective potential of entomopathigenic fungi in soils of agrocenoses and seminatural habitats in the agricultural landscape. Sci. Dis. 94, Publisher AP, Siedlce, 160.
  35. Tkaczuk C., Majchrowska-Safaryan A., Harasimiuk M., 2016. The occurrence and infective potential of entomopathogenic fungi in the soil of arable fields, meadows and forest habitats. Prog. Plant Prot. 56, 5–11. http://dx.doi.org/10.14199/ppp-2016-001
  36. Uzman D., Pliester J., Leyer I. et al., 2019. Drivers of entomopathogenic fungi presence in organic and conventional vineyard soils. Appl. Soil Ecol. 133, 89–97. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsoil.2018.09.004.
  37. Vänninen L., 1995. Distribution and occurrence of four en¬tomopathogenic fungi in Finland: effect of geographical location, habitat type and soil type. Mycol. Res. 100, 93‒101.
  38. Wyrebek M., Huber C., Sasan R.K. et al., 2011. Three sympatrically occurring species of Metarhizium show plant rhizo-sphere specificity. Microbiology 157, 2904–2911. https://doi.org/10.1099/mic.0.051102-0
  39. Zhalnina K., Louie K.B., Hao Z. Et al., 2018. Dynamic root exudate chemistry and microbial substrate preferences drive patterns in rhizosphere microbial community assembly. Nat. Microbiol. 3, 470–80. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41564-018-0129-3
  40. Zhou X., Liang W., Zhang Y.C. et al., 2022. Distribution and pathogenicity of Beauveria bassiana in soil with earthworm action and feeding. PLoS ONE 17(10), e0275826. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0275826

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Most read articles by the same author(s)

Similar Articles

<< < 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 > >> 

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.