Toxicity of Bacillus thuringiensis Crystal Toxins to Field Populations of Rice Leaf Folder, Cnaphalocrocis medinalis （Guenee） and Establishment of Baseline Susceptibility to Cry1Ab

Eight insecticidal crystal proteins of Bacillus thuringiensis, CrylAa, CrylAb, CrylAc, CrylB, Cry2Aa, CrylC, CrylDa and Cry 1Ea were assessed for toxicity against 1 st instar larvae of rice leaf folder, Cnaphalocrocis medinalis （Guenee） at 48 HAT and 72 HAT. Bioassay results depicted CrylAa was the most toxic （LCso 2.35 ppm） followed by CrylBa （LCso 8,50 ppm） and CrylAb （LCso 8.73 ppm） at 48 HAT, whereas, at 72 HAT CrylAb proved to be highly toxic （LC50 0.50 ppm） followed by CrylAa （LCso 4.07 ppm）, CrylAc （LCso 4,84 ppm） and CrylBa （LCso 6.42 ppm）. Toxins Cry2Aa, CrylCa, CrylDa and CrylEa did not resulted in any mortality at 48 HAT and 72 HAT, respectively. Baseline estimates for CrylAb against 1st instar larvae of C. medinalis sampled from seven geographical locations revealed variation in LC50＇s from 0.37 ppm to LC50 16.25 ppm at 48 HAT and LC50 0.50 ppm to LC50 6.49 ppm 72 HAT, respectively with relative resistance ratios of 44-fold and 13-fold at 48 HAT and 72 HAT over the susceptible population.