Artisanal Multiplication of Entomopathogenic Nematodes in Ecuador for the Control of Phyllophaga sp
In Ecuador, lNlAP (National Autonomous Institute for Agricultural Research) has a collection of entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN) belonging to the genera Steinernema and Heterorhabditis for the control of soil pests. Previous studies determined that the EPN can control pests such as white potato worm Premnotrypes vorax Hustache, complex potato moth Tecia solanivora Povolny, Symmetrischema tangolias Gyen and Phthorimaea operculella Zeller. In this study, greenhouse tests were conducted using 2-month-old blackberry plants (Rubus glaucus Benth) placed in plastic pots of 1500 ml volume. Five larvae of Phyllophaga sp. (1.0-2.0 g / larva) were placed in each pot and maintained for 7 days, after which time 9 strains of EPN were inoculated into the pots at a dose of 10 IJs / gram of soil (the IJs were used in this study were collected from larvae of Phyllophaga sp. previously inoculated into laboratory). The control treatment received only water. The H. bacteriophora H04-D was the most efficacious, causing a 70% larval mortality. The same strain was also associated with the highest root mass, with an average of 10.8 grams versus the control treatment, which showed an average root weight of 2.7 grams. Another phase of the study was artisanal production of the EPN in compost. For this purpose, EPN infected larvae of Galleria mellonela and healthy larvae of Phyllophaga sp. were alternatively added to the compost. The EPN´s were maintained in the material composted for 90 days after their production.
