Application of the Keyence VHX600 in biopesticide research and development at AgraQuest Inc

The Keyence VHX-600 digital microscope was developed primarily as a tool for material sciences research and manufacturing. The free angle observation system and the high resolution, 54 million pixel 3CCD, camera coupled with a high performance graphic engine offer quantitative optical analysis tools that we have used to investigate a variety of biological structures, host plant functions, and insect behaviors. The digital focus and quantitative 3-D analysis are ideal for basic taxonomy and image acquisition. AgraQuest has developed a catalog of images for use when marketing biopesticide products to growers or distributors, and our online digital images help people identify specific crop pests. The digital analysis functions have been used to quantify spider mite and Lepidoptera feeding damage, and the time lapse analysis function has been used to measure speed of kill, repellency, and other important insect behaviors. Novel formulation and adjuvants have been optimized using quantitative deposition followed by droplet size analysis and spray coverage evaluation. Digital microscopy allows us to obtain reproducible information about changes in spray pattern and deposition with varying formulations and equipment. The Keyence digital microscope offers a wide variety of functions that are useful in basic entomological studies and biopesticide research.