BioControl (2009) 54, 671-684

Christina Pilz, Siegfried Keller, Ulrich Kuhlmann and Stefan Toepfer (2009)
Comparative efficacy assessment of fungi, nematodes and insecticides to control western corn rootworm larvae in maize
BioControl 54 (5), 671-684
Abstract: All three larval instars of Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte (western corn rootworm, Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) feed on the roots of maize, Zea mays (L.). We assessed the efficacies of the following four agents in controlling these larvae: (1) the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae (Metsch.) Sorokin (Hypocreales: Clavicipitaceae), (2) the nematode Heterorhabditis bacteriophora Poinar (Nematoda: Rhabditida), (3) a tefluthrin-based soil insecticide and (4) clothianidin-coated seeds. The agents were applied in field plot experiments in southern Hungary in 2006 and 2007. Efficacy was assessed by comparing the number of emerging D. v. virgifera adults and corresponding root damage among treatments and untreated controls. All agents significantly reduced D. v. virgifera numbers and root damage, but the relative success of each treatment was variable. On average across fields and years, the nematode and the two insecticides reduced D. v. virgifera by 65 ± 34% SD, while the fungus reduced D. v. virgifera by 31 ± 7%. According to the node injury scale, the agents prevented 23-95% of potential root damage. Large-scale commercialisation of these biological agents could offer viable and practical control options against D. v. virgifera.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Christina Pilz, Stefan Toepfer, Ulrich Kuhlmann

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
control - general
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
evaluation - screening - selection

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Diabrotica virgifera	Maize/corn (Zea mays)	Hungary
Metarhizium anisopliae (entomopathogen)	Diabrotica virgifera	Maize/corn (Zea mays)	Hungary
Heterorhabditis bacteriophora/Photorhabdus (entomopathogen)	Diabrotica virgifera	Maize/corn (Zea mays)	Hungary