Virulence potential of two entomopathogenic nematodes, their associated bacteria, and its metabolites to larvae of Pieris brassicae L. (Lepidoptera, Pieridae) in cabbage under greenhouse and field bioassays

• Published in: International journal of tropical insect science Vol. 42; no. 1; pp. 557 - 563
• Main Authors: Abbas, Waseem, Javed, Nazir, Haq, Imran-ul, Ahmed, Sohail
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01-02-2022; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Bacteria; Bioassays; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Brassica oleracea; Butterflies & moths; Entomology; Entomopathogenic nematodes; Greenhouses; Heterorhabditis bacteriophora; Insects; Larvae; Life Sciences; Metabolites; Mortality; Nematodes; Original Research Article; Photorhabdus; Pieris brassicae; Pieris rapae; Virulence; Xenorhabdus; Cabbage butterfly; spp
• ISSN: 1742-7592; 1742-7584; 1742-7592
• DOI: 10.1007/s42690-021-00571-y

The cabbage butterfly (
Pieris brassicae
L.) is a major insect pest of cabbage in Pakistan.
Heterorhabditis bacteriophora 
(at 1500 infective juvenile/ ml concentraction)
, Steinerma glaseri
(at 1500 infective juvenile/ ml concentration)
, H. bacteriophora
 + 
S. glaseri
(at 1500 infective juvenile/ ml concentration),
Xenorhabdus
spp., (at 4 × 10
12
concentration)
Photorhabdus
spp., (at 4 × 10
12
concentration) metabolites of
Xenorhabdus
spp. (at 50% concentration) and metabolites of
Photorhabdus
spp (at 50% concentration) were sprayed on cabbage hybrid CB-60 grown in pots placed in the greenhouse. After 7 days, the highest
P. brassicae
larval mortality (90.43%) was observed where
H. bacteriophora
 + 
S. glaseri
were sprayed. In field experiment, best-performing treatments from greenhouse experiment were selected i.e.
H. bacteriophora
 + 
S. glaseri
(at 1500 infective juvenile/ ml concentration),
Xenorhabdus
spp., (at 4 × 10
12
concentration) and metabolites of
Xenorhabdus
spp. (at 50% concentration) were sprayed on a highly susceptible cabbage hybrid (CB-60).
Heterorhabditis bacteriophora
 + 
Steinerma. glaseri
@ 1500 infective juvenile/ ml was found to be more superior with maximum mortality (80.43) of cabbage butterfly larvae in comparison with other treatments. From the present study, it may be concluded that EPNs (
H. bacteriophora
and
S. glaseri
) application is more effective as compared to their symbiotic bacteria and metabolite for cabbage butterfly management.