Karakterisasi Formulasi Enkapsulasi Jamur Beauveria bassiana Menggunakan Sodium Alginat

Abstract

Beauveria bassiana is an entomopathogenic fungus widely used as a biological control agent against insect pests. However, the viability of its conidia can decrease due to environmental factors. Encapsulation using sodium alginate is a potential method to improve conidia stability. This study aimed to characterize the encapsulation formulation of B. bassiana using sodium alginate. The experiment was conducted using a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with four treatments: control (without alginate), 2%, 3%, and 4% sodium alginate, each with five replications. Encapsulation was performed using the ionotropic gelation method with CaCl₂ as a crosslinking agent. Observed variables included bead diameter and colony growth diameter on PDA. The results showed that the bead diameter of encapsulated B. bassiana at all alginate concentrations was relatively similar (±1,6 mm). Sodium alginate concentration significantly affected colony diameter on the 14th day of observation. The control produced the highest colony diameter (58.00 mm), followed by 2% (41.88 mm), 4% (35.28 mm), and 3% alginate (33.46 mm). Increasing alginate concentration tended to reduce colony growth due to the formation of a denser gel matrix. In conclusion, sodium alginate encapsulation affects the growth characteristics of B. bassiana under in vitro conditions.