Pest Management Science (2018) 74, 1586-1592

Alexandra Bernal, Oihane Simón, Trevor Williams, Delia Muñoz and Primitivo Caballero (2018)
Remarkably efficient production of a highly insecticidal Chrysodeixis chalcites nucleopolyhedrovirus (ChchNPV) isolate in its homologous host
Pest Management Science 74 (7), 1586-1592
Abstract:
Background
A Chrysodeixis chalcites nucleopolyhedrovirus from the Canary Islands (ChchNPV-TF1) has proved to be effective for control of Chrysodeixis chalcites on banana crops. Commercialization of this virus as a bioinsecticide requires an efficient production system.
Results
The sixth instar (L₆) was the most suitable for virus production, producing 1.80 × 10¹¹ occlusion bodies (OB)/larva and showed a lower prevalence of cannibalism (5.4%) than fourth (L₄) or fifth (L₅) instars. Inoculation of L₆ at 24 h post molting produced six times more OB (5.72 × 10¹¹ OB/larva) than recently molted L₆ larvae (1.00 × 10¹¹ OB/larva). No significant differences were recorded in mean time to death (165–175 h) or OB production per larva (3.75 × 10¹¹ to 5.97 × 10¹¹) or per mg larval weight (1.30 × 10¹¹ to 2.11 × 10⁹), in larvae inoculated with a range of inoculum concentrations (LC₅₀–LC₉₀). Groups of infected L₆ larvae reared at a density of 150 larvae/container produced a greater total number of OBs (8.07 × 10¹³ OB/container) than lower densities (25, 50 and 100 OB/container), and a similar number to containers with 200 inoculated larvae (8.43 × 10¹³ OB/container).
Conclusion
The processes described here allow efficient production of sufficient OBs to treat ~ 40 ha of banana crops using the insects from a single container.
(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): Primitivo Caballero, Trevor Williams, Delia Muñoz, Oihane Simón

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
rearing/culturing/mass production

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Chrysodeixis chalcites	Banana/plantain (Musa)	Spain (Canary Is.)
Alphabaculovirus chrychalcites (entomopathogen)	Chrysodeixis chalcites	Banana/plantain (Musa)	Spain (Canary Is.)