Variability in aggressiveness,cultural characteristics,cercosporin production and fatty acid profile of Cercospora piaropi,a biocontrol agent of water hyacinth

The extent of variation in aggressiveness, growth and pigmentation in culture, phytotoxin production and fatty acid profile were determined in a population of 55 isolates of Cercospora piaropi, a fungus used as a biocontrol agent of the aquatic weed water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes). Besides differences in the colour of mycelium and diffusible pigments in culture, isolates of C. piaropi grown under standard conditions differed significantly in their ability to produce the phytotoxin cercosporin, as well as in aggressiveness and growth rate. A positive correlation existed between the ability of the isolates to produce cercosporin and their aggressiveness, and a negative correlation between growth rate and cercosporin production or growth rate and aggressiveness. Based on thin‐layer chromatographic separation of extracts and comparison with beticolin‐1, used as a standard, there was no evidence of production of beticolins. In discriminant analysis, fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) profiles had low resolution for differentiating populations among isolates of the fungus, and the level of resolution was influenced by the age of the colonies. Diffusible pigments in culture and cercosporin production are useful adjuncts to aggressiveness screening for choosing the most effective isolate of C. piaropi for biological control.     

Successful biological control of water hyacinth (Eichhornia Crassipes) by Neochetina eichhorniae (Coleoptera: curculionidae) in Bangalore,India

Abstract

Water hyacinth is the most serious aquatic weed in India, infesting more than 200000 ha of water surface. Successful biological control of this weed was achieved in a fully infested tank covering 20 ha at Bangalore. More than 95% of the infestation was cleared within 32 months by releases of Neochetina eichhorniae Warner. The insect also spread along a water channel and controlled water hyacinth infesting a nearby tank. Drying up of the tank after the insect population had spread throughout and increased to 3.1 adults/plant hastened weed control. Fresh plants emerging after rains were suppressed by the residual population of insects. N. eichhorniae along with N. bruchi Hustache is being supplied to centres throughout the country for multiplication and releases. Sustained efforts with these insects holds out promise of control of water hyacinth in India.     

外来入侵豚草天敌广聚萤叶甲的半人工饲料配方和关键因子的初步筛选

广聚萤叶甲Ophraella communa LeSage是入侵恶性豚草的天敌。参照前人对叶甲类半人工饲料的研究配方,采用19因子混水平正交试验L32(45×216),初步筛选出适合广聚萤叶甲成虫和幼虫的半人工饲料配方,筛选出影响广聚萤叶甲成虫寿命的8种关键成分:麦胚、10%KOH、葡萄糖、尼泊金、豚草叶粉、琼脂、胆固醇、大豆油;影响广聚萤叶甲2龄幼虫发育的8种关键成分是:燕麦片、琼脂、麦胚、葡萄糖、氯化胆碱、10%KOH、蒸馏水、大豆油。研究结果为进一步研制广聚萤叶甲人工饲料提供了基础。     

Selection of global Metarhizium isolates for the control of the rice pest Nilaparvata lugens (Homoptera: Delphacidae)

BACKGROUND: This study was initiated to search for fungal candidates for microbial control of brown planthopper (BPH) Nilaparvata lugens Stål, to which little attention has been paid in the past two decades. RESULTS: Thirty‐five isolates of Metarhizium anisopliae (Metschnikoff) Sorokin and M. flavoviride Gams & Rozsypal from different host insects worldwide were bioassayed for their lethal effects against third‐instar BPH nymphs at 25 °C and a 14:10 h light:dark photoperiod at ca 1000 conidia mm^?2. On day 9 post‐treatment, mortality attributable to mycosis ranged from 6.5 to 64.2% and differed significantly among the tested isolates with no apparent relationship to their host origin. Only two BPH‐derived M. anisopliae isolates from the Philippines (ARSEF456) and Indonesia (ARSEF576) killed > 50% of the nymphs. Both isolates were further bioassayed for time–concentration–mortality responses of the nymphs to the sprays of 19–29, 118–164 and 978–1088 conidia mm^?2 in repeated bioassays. The resultant data fitted a time–concentration–mortality model very well. Their LC₅₀ values were estimated as 731 and 1124 conidia mm^?2 on day 7 and fell to 284 and 306 conidia mm^?2, respectively, on day 10. CONCLUSION: The two M. anisopliae isolates are potential biocontrol agents of BPH for further research. This is the first report of the lethal effects of global Metarhizium isolates on the rice pest. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry     

The pathogenicity of Vairimorpha necatrix (Microspora: Microsporidia) against the tomato moth, Lacanobia oleracea (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and its potential use for the control of lepidopteran glasshouse pests

A droplet feeding technique was used to feed known amounts of Vairimorpha necatrix (Kramer) spores to larvae of the tomato moth, Lacanobia oleracea (L) in order to assess the susceptibility of this lepidopteran pest to the pathogen. All first- to fourth-instar larvae died as a result of ingesting 1000 or more V necatrix spores. Two forms of death were observed, which were dependent on the dose and the age of the insect when treated. For first-instar larvae, rapid death (within 6days of dosing) occurred after ingestion of 2000 spores, whereas lower doses resulted in a proportion of larvae dying from chronic infection (microsporidiosis). For more advanced stages, increasing spore doses were required to give rapid death, such that a dose of 200,000 spores was needed to give 80% mortality within 6 days for third-instar larvae. Rapid death was not observed in fourth- to sixth-instar larvae. In all cases successful pupation and adult emergence were much reduced compared with non-infected larvae. Suspensions of V necatrix were sprayed on to tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill) plants maintained in small glasshouses prior to infestation of the plants with L oleracea larvae. The numbers and biomass of pest larvae retrieved from the plants sprayed with V necatrix were significantly reduced by up to 40% and 70%, respectively, compared with plants sprayed with water (control). Similarly, plants sprayed with V necatrix showed a reduction in damage of up to 45% compared with the control plants.     

Potential of a strain of Beauveria bassiana (Hypocreales: Cordycipitaceae) for the control of the potato tuberworm,Phthorimaea operculella (Zeller)

The potato tuberworm, Phthorimaea operculella (Zeller), is one of the most important pests of potato, Solanum tuberosum L., worldwide. We evaluated six Beauveria bassiana strains with potential for control of larvae. Strain SD was the most virulent, causing up to 98% mortality 10 days after inoculation of first instars. The other tested strains (HL, XJ, SC, JL and GZ) were only marginally virulent compared to the controls. In cage trials, SD strain applied to potato plants significantly reduced the survival of tuberworm larvae. Our results suggest that strain SD may be recommended for effective biological control of P. operculella.