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Modeling the effects of cymene on the distribution of germination and growth of Beauveria bassiana

Essential oils have antifungal and antipathogenic effects and therefore are targets in plant pathology research for their potential uses as natural substitutes for inorganic plant pesticides. Beauveria bassiana, an entomopathogenic fungus, can endophytically colonize a vast number of plant species and trigger induced systemic resistance against plant pathogens. Spore germination is the most vulnerable in the fungal life cycle and is therefore a good candidate for monitoring the effect of essential oils on the growth of B. bassiana. Percentage germination of fungal spores and length of germination tubes were recorded from experiments. A mathematical model that was able to capture the effects of cymene, an essential oil produced by Monarda, on the germination and growth was developed. This is the first report of a model for the impact of essential oils on B. bassiana spore germination.