Colonization Ability of Trichoderma asperellum And Its Effect on Oviposition Preference of Spodoptera frugiperda J. E. Smith (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in Maize

Fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda J.E. Smith) is a major pest of maize crops. This pest has the ability to lay eggs and reproduce quickly. One option to control this pest is to improve plant resistance using biological agents. The Trichoderma asperellum fungus is one of the biological agents that can develop in plant tissues. This study aims to see the colonization ability of T. asperellum on maize and its effect on S. frugiperda oviposition. The research was conducted experimentally using a completely randomized design using endophytic fungi from several types of plants in several regions in West Sumatra. Treatment application was carried out by soaking maize seeds with a suspension of T. asperellum fungus then planted in polybags. The plants from the introduction of the fungus were used as a test site for S. frugiperda oviposition preference and colonization tests. Observations included the percentage of colonization on maize leaves and the number of eggs oviposited by S. frugiperda on maize. The results showed that T. asperellum can live as an endophyte on maize leaves at 21 DAI with a low colonization ability of 10%. The introduction of T. asperellum in maize through seed soaking did not affect the oviposition of S. frugiperda adult.