Application of Riau local entomopathogen fungi Beauveria bassiana toward Spodoptera litura pest and plants growth red chili

Red chili is a horticultural crop that is widely cultivated commercially. The need for red chili is increasing, in accordance with the increasing variety of types of food that use red chili as a raw material. Pest attacks on red chili plants are an obstacle in red chili cultivation. Spodoptera litura is a red chili pest that can cause yield reductions of up to 80%. Control using the Riau local entomopathogenic fungi Beauveria bassiana is an effort to control S. litura using environmentally friendly materials. This study aims to determine the effect of the application of the Riau local entomopathogenic fungi B. bassiana to contol S. litura pests and the growth of red chili plants. The research was carried out at the Plant Pest Laboratory and Experimental Garden, Faculty of Agriculture, Riau University from July to August 2020. This study was designed in a completely randomized design with five treatments, namely the concentration of Riau local Riau B. bassiana 20 gl-1 water, 25 gl-1 water, 30 gl-1 water, 35 gl-1 water and 40 gl-1 water and four replications to obtain 20 experimental units. The results showed that the concentration of Riau local B. bassiana 30 gl-1 of water containing a conidia density of 4.1 × 108 con.ml-1 was a concentration that affected S. litura pests and chili plant growth by causing the intensity of S. litura pests which could be categorized as lower at 4.15% and can cause a peak in larval death on the fourth day after application.