<![CDATA[ABSTRAKTungau menyerang sejumlah besar tanaman, termasuk beberapa komoditas perkebunan penting di Indonesia, seperti: kapas, jarak pagar, jarak kepyar, tembakau, teh, kelapa, dan wijen. Pengendalian tungau sebagian besar masih mengandalkan pestisida kimia yang seringkali malah mengakibatkan ledakan populasi yang semakin sulit dikendalikan. Hingga kini belum ada teknik pengendalian hama tungau secara non-kimiawi yang efektif dan efisien. Penggunaan varietas tahan mampu menekan populasi, tetapi kenyataannya varietas-varietas tahan masih terbatas jumlahnya. Beberapa spesies serangga juga telah berhasil diidentifikasi sebagai predator tungau, tetapi belum dikembangkan secara optimal dalam pengendalian. Tulisan ini bertujuan untuk menginformasikan prospek pemanfaatan jamur entomopatogen B. bassiana dalam pengendalian hama tungau. B. bassiana mempunyai prospek cukup baik karena selain kisaran inangnya luas, juga patogenisitasnya terhadap inang tinggi. Hasil-hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa aplikasi B. bassiana efektif menurunkan populasi berbagai spesies tungau dan menekan kerusakan tanaman. Konidia B. bassiana mampu menyebabkan mortalitas tungau hingga mencapai 80-100%. Oleh karena itu, peluang untuk meneliti lebih jauh dan mengembangkan B. bassiana untuk dimanfaatkan dalam pengendalian hama tungau terbuka luas, karena koleksi isolat yang tersedia cukup banyak untuk dipilih. Untuk mencapai tujuan ini beberapa penelitian masih perlu dilakukan, seperti teknik perbanyakan yang efisien dan formulasi yang tepat, serta penelitian untuk meningkatkan patogenisitas dan stabilitas jamur.Kata kunci: Entomopatogen, Beauveria bassiana, morta-litas, tungau, patogenisitas. ABSTRACTEntomopathogenic fungi Beauveria bassiana: Its potency and prospects for mites controlMites attack large number of plants including several following estate crops, viz. cotton, Jatropha curcas,Richinus communis, tobacco, tea, coconut tree, and sesame. The great reliance on chemical pesticides for controlling mites had its serious drawbacks, manifested in resistance problems and population outbreaks which is more difficult to solve. The effective and efficient non-chemical control method has not available so far to decrease the plant damage. There is resistant variety that can be used to reduce mites population, in fact, however, some of these varieties are still developed. A number of insect species have been identified as predator of mites, however, most of these species have not been developed for bio-control of mites. The paper informs the potential use of entomopathogenic fungus B. bassiana as a promising control method against mites. Besides broad spectrum bio-pesticide, this fungus produces high pathogenicity against its hosts. Research studies showed that B. bassiana effectively reduced both mites population and plant damage. Mortality of mites infected with the fungus ranged in 80-100%. The possibility of using B. bassiana in pest control would also be a better tool for control mites population. Several strains of B. bassiana isolate have been collected and might be able to use in further green house and field tests. To achieve this goal, several studies need to be conducted, including appropriate production method and formulation, as well as study to increase pathogenicity and stability of the fungus.Key words: Entomopathogen, Beauveria bassiana, mor-tality, mites, pathogenicity]]>
