03008naa a2200373 a 450000100080000000500110000800800410001902200140006002400520007410000200012624501460014626000090029252018240030165000300212565000200215565000270217565000300220265000260223265000270225865000210228565000150230665000180232165000170233965000220235665000350237865000180241365000200243165300220245170000200247370000180249370000180251170000260252977300790255521351092022-06-10       2021    bl uuuu     u00u1 u    #d  a1432-06147 ahttps://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-021-11576-52DOI1 aIWANICKI, N. S.  aDevelopment of novel spray-dried and air-dried formulations of Metarhizium robertsii blastospores and their virulence.h[electronic resource]  c2021  aAbstract: The present research addressed spray-drying and air-drying techniques applied to Metarhizium robertsii blastospores to develop wettable powder (WP) formulations. We investigated the effect of co-formulants on blastospore viability during drying and assessed the wettability and stability of formulations in water. The effect of oxygen-moisture absorbers was studied on the shelf life of these formulations stored at 26 °C and 4 °C for up to 90 days. Additionally, we determined the virulence of the best spray-dried and air-dried formulations against the corn leafhopper Dalbulus maidis. While sucrose and skim milk played an essential role as osmoprotectants in preserving air-dried blastospores, maltodextrin, skim milk, and bentonite were crucial to attain high cell survival during spray drying. The lowest wettability time was achieved with spray-dried formulations containing less Ca-lignin, while charcoal powder amount was positively associated with formulation stability. The addition of oxygen-moisture absorbers inside sealed packages increased from threefold to fourfold the half-life times of air-dried and spray-dried formulations at both storage temperatures. However, the half-life times of all blastospore-based formulations were shorter than 3 months regardless of temperature and packaging system. Spray-dried and air-dried WP formulations were as virulent as fresh blastopores against D. maydis adults sprayed with 5 × 107 blastospores mL−1 that induced 87.8% and 70.6% mortality, respectively. These findings bring innovative advancement for M. robertsii blastospore formulation through spray-drying and underpin the importance of adding protective matrices coupled to oxygen-moisture absorbers to extend cell viability during either cold or non-refrigerated storage.  aBiological control agents  aDalbulus maidis  aEntomopathogenic fungi  aLiquid state fermentation  aMetarhizium robertsii  aPesticide formulations  aWettable powders  aCigarrinha  aFermentação  aFormulação  aFungo Entomógeno  aFungo Para Controle Biológico  aPó Molhável  aPraga de Planta  aConvective drying1 aMASCARIN, G. M.1 aMORENO, S. G.1 aEILENBERG, J.1 aDELALIBERA JUNIOR, I.  tApplied Microbiology and Biotechnologygv. 105, n. 20, p. 7913-7933, 2021.