Impact of Heavy Metals, Metallic Nanoparticles on the Growth Parameters, Pesticidal Activity and Oxidative Stress Markers of White Muscardian Potential Fungal Biopesticide Beauveria Bassiana

Contamination of agroecosystems by metallic ions on various scales significantly reduces crop productivity and yield due to their toxic effects on beneficial soil microbiota. This study investigates the toxic effects of heavy metals chromium (Cr), lead (Pb), nickel (Ni) and metallic nanoparticles silver (AgNPs) and zinc oxide (ZnONPs), both individually and in combination, on the vegetative growth, spore germination, pesticidal activity, and oxidative stress markers like enzymatic antioxidants, catalase, superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase, and reactive oxygen species generation. Beauveria bassiana was isolated from agricultural fields. A soil sample was used in this study through culture-dependent methods. Toxicity tests reveal that fungal vegetative sporulation and pesticidal activity were highly reduced under high concentrations of heavy metals (both single and combined treatments). Elevated level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) – an important oxidative stress marker in the high concentrations of heavy metals (both single and combined treatments) also reveals the toxicity induced by the heavy metals.