Insecticidal Potential Assessment Of Metarhizium Anisopliae Coated Zinc Nitrate Nanoparticles Against Cabbage Aphid (Brevicoryne brassicae) Mortality

Aphid infestations pose a serious threat to agriculture, urging the need for eco-friendly pest control alternatives. This Current study focused on an innovative solution by combining Metarhizium anisopliae, an entomopathogenic fungus, with zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) to combat cabbage aphids (Brevicoryne brassicae). Using the leaf dip method under laboratory conditions, ZnONPs were biosynthesized with fungal mediation and tested at concentrations of 0.75%, 1%, and 1.25% over a 7-day period. Results showed that the combined treatment significantly outperformed individual applications, with a maximum aphid mortality rate of 91.4% at 1.25% concentration after seven days. This synergistic effect demonstrates the potential of integrating nanotechnology with biological control in pest management. This is the first study to confirm the insecticidal efficacy of M. anisopliae-mediated ZnONPs against cabbage aphids, offering a sustainable and environmentally friendly addition to Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies.