Current Science

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access

Implantation of Heterorhabditis indica-Infected Galleria Cadavers in the Soil for Biocontrol of White Grub Infestation in Sugarcane Fields of Western Uttar Pradesh, India


Affiliations
1 Division of Nematology, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110 012, India
2 Division of Entomology, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110 012, India
 

Over the past 10 years, farmers of Uttaranchal and western Uttar Pradesh, India have been fighting a losing battle against the white grub (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) infestation of sugarcane crop. Pesticides have failed to address the problem as evident from the observed infestation levels of 10-24 grubs/m2. During 2008-2014, the Division of Nematology, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi launched a biocontrol project involving treatment of the white grub-afflicted fields with entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs)-infected Galleria mellonella cadavers. This initiative, spread over the districts of Ghaziabad, Meerut, Amroha, Saharanpur, Gajraula, Bulandshahar and Hapur, was undertaken in collaboration with a non-governmental organization - the Foundation for Resources Management and Environmental Remediation - and local sugar mills, and by enlisting the active participation of the farming community. It was perceived that this technology had a greater possibility of evolving into a long-term, sustainable biocontrol strategy if the EPN-infected Galleria were sourced in each village. Capacity-building programmes were undertaken in the villages with special focus on empowering women, and small and marginalized farmers by educating them on rearing and infecting Galleria. This initiative has resulted in an average reduction of 69.1% in the white grub population and an average increase of 60.49 q/acre in sugarcane yield over untreated control.

Keywords

Biocontrol Strategy, Galleria mellonella Cadavers, Heterorhabditis indica, Sugarcane, White Grubs.
User
Notifications
Font Size

  • Liu, Q., Du, X., Zhang, L., Zhang, S., Xie, N. and Liang, L., Effectiveness of Steinernema longicaudum BPS for chafer grub control in peanut plot. Plant Prot., 2009, 35, 150–153.

  • Qu, M., Jiang, X., Ju, Q., Chen, J., Zhao, Z., Chen, Q. and Yu, S., Control and residual effects of several insecticides against the peanut grubs. Plant Prot., 2011, 37, 167–169.

  • Koppenhöfer, A. M., Cowles, R. S., Cowles, E. A., Fuzy, E. M. and Baumgartner, L., Comparison of neonicotinoid insecticides as synergists for entomopathogenic nematodes. Biol. Control, 2002, 24, 90–97.

  • Poinar Jr, G. O., Nematodes for Biological Control of Insects, CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, USA, 1979, p. 277.

  • Grewal, P. S., Koppenhöfer, A. M. and Choo, H. Y., Lawn, turfgrass and pasture applications. In Nematodes as Biocontrol Agents (eds Grewal, P. S., Ehlers, R.-U. and Shapiro-Ilan, D. I.), CABI Publishing, Wallingford, UK, 2005, pp. 115–146.

  • Adel, M. M. and Hussein, H. M., Effectiveness of entomopathogenic nematodes Steinernema feltiae and Heterorhabditis bacteriophora on the Colorado potato beetle Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) under laboratory and greenhouse conditions. Arch. Phytopath. Plant Prot., 2010, 43(15), 1485–1494.

  • Boemare, N., Biology, taxonomy and systematics of Photorhabdus and Xenorhabdus. In Entomopathogenic Nematology, CABI Publishing, Wallingford, UK, 2002, pp. 35–56.

  • Georgis, R. and Gaugler, R., Predictability in biological control using entomopathogenic nematodes. J. Econ. Entomol., 1991, 84, 713–720.

  • Koppenhöfer, A. M., Brown, I. M., Gaugler, R., Grewal, P. S., Kaya, H. K. and Klein, M. G., Synergism of entomopathogenic nematodes and imidacloprid against white grubs: greenhouse and field evaluation. Biol. Control, 2000, 19, 245–252.

  • Koppenhöfer, A. M. and Fuzy, E. M., Steinernema scarabaei for the control of white grubs. Biol. Control, 2003, 28, 47–59.

  • Du, X., Liu, Q., Zhang, L., Liang, L., Xie, N. and Zhang, S., Application technology of Steinernema longicaudum BPS strain in peanut fields for chafer grub control. Agrochemicals, 2009, 48, 379–388.

  • Guo, W., Yan, X., Zhao, G. and Han, R., Efficacy of entomopathogenic Steinernema and Heterorhabditis nematodes against white grubs (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) in peanut Fields. J. Econ. Entomol., 2013, 106(3), 1112–1117.

  • Mohan, S., Upadhyay, A., Banakar, P. and Rao, U., Molecular characterization of an indigenous isolate of Heterorhabditis pathogenic to white grubs. In National Symposium on Nematode: A Friend and Foe of Agri-horticultural Crops, Y. S. Parmar University, Solan, 2013, p. 48.

  • Mohan, S., Singh, J. and Singh, J. P., Field application of Heterorhabditis indica for the management of Holotrichia consanguinea in sugarcane. In National Symposium on Crop Health Management for Sustainable Agri-Horticultural Cropping System, Central Agricultural Research Institute, Port Blair, 2011, p. 147.

  • Shapiro-Ilan, D. I., Lewis, E. E., Behle, R. W. and Mcguire, M. R., Formulation of entomopathogenic nematode-infectedcadavers. J. Invertebr. Pathol., 2001, 78, 17–23.

  • Del Valle, E. E., Dolinski, C., Barreto, E. L. S., Souza, R. M. and Samuel, R. I., Efficacy of Heterorhabditis baujardi LPP7 (Nematoda: Rhabditida) applied in Galleria mellonella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) insect cadavers to Conotrachelus psidii (Coleoptera Curculionidae) larvae. Biocontrol Sci. Technol., 2008, 18, 33–41.

  • Ansari, A. M., Hussain, M. A. and Moens, M., Formulation and application of entomopatogenic nematode-infected cadavers for control of Hoplia philanthus in turfgrass. Pest Manage. Sci., 2009, 65, 367–374.

  • Dolinski, C., Choo, H. Y. and Ducan, L. W., Grower acceptance of entomopathogenic nematodes: case studies on three continents. J. Nematol., 2012, 44, 226–235.

  • Shapiro-Ilan, D. I., Lewis, E. E. and Tedders, W. L., Superior efficacy observed in entomopathogenic nematodes applied in infectedhost cadavers compared with application in aqueous suspension. J. Invertebr. Pathol., 2003, 83, 270–272.

  • Mohan, S., White grub management by H. indica infected Galleria cadavers. IARI News, 2013, 29(1), p. 2.


Abstract Views: 558

PDF Views: 163




  • Implantation of Heterorhabditis indica-Infected Galleria Cadavers in the Soil for Biocontrol of White Grub Infestation in Sugarcane Fields of Western Uttar Pradesh, India

Abstract Views: 558  |  PDF Views: 163

Authors

Sharad Mohan
Division of Nematology, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110 012, India
Akanksha Upadhyay
Division of Nematology, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110 012, India
Arohi Srivastava
Division of Nematology, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110 012, India
K. Sreedevi
Division of Entomology, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110 012, India

Abstract


Over the past 10 years, farmers of Uttaranchal and western Uttar Pradesh, India have been fighting a losing battle against the white grub (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) infestation of sugarcane crop. Pesticides have failed to address the problem as evident from the observed infestation levels of 10-24 grubs/m2. During 2008-2014, the Division of Nematology, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi launched a biocontrol project involving treatment of the white grub-afflicted fields with entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs)-infected Galleria mellonella cadavers. This initiative, spread over the districts of Ghaziabad, Meerut, Amroha, Saharanpur, Gajraula, Bulandshahar and Hapur, was undertaken in collaboration with a non-governmental organization - the Foundation for Resources Management and Environmental Remediation - and local sugar mills, and by enlisting the active participation of the farming community. It was perceived that this technology had a greater possibility of evolving into a long-term, sustainable biocontrol strategy if the EPN-infected Galleria were sourced in each village. Capacity-building programmes were undertaken in the villages with special focus on empowering women, and small and marginalized farmers by educating them on rearing and infecting Galleria. This initiative has resulted in an average reduction of 69.1% in the white grub population and an average increase of 60.49 q/acre in sugarcane yield over untreated control.

Keywords


Biocontrol Strategy, Galleria mellonella Cadavers, Heterorhabditis indica, Sugarcane, White Grubs.

References





DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs%2Fv112%2Fi10%2F2016-2020