Management of <i>Spodoptera frugiperda</i> J.E. Smith Using Recycled Virus Inoculum from Larvae Treated with Baculovirus under Field Conditions
Fall armyworm (FAW) is a major pest of maize and causes huge losses. Chemical pesticides are the commonly used control strategy among farmers. The efficacy of baculoviruses against FAW has been proven; however, farmers may not be able to afford the products. The use of farmer-produced baculovirus mi...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-08-01
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| Series: | Insects |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/14/8/686 |
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| author | Allan Mweke Ivan Rwomushana Arthur Okello Duncan Chacha Jingfei Guo Belinda Luke |
| author_facet | Allan Mweke Ivan Rwomushana Arthur Okello Duncan Chacha Jingfei Guo Belinda Luke |
| author_sort | Allan Mweke |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Fall armyworm (FAW) is a major pest of maize and causes huge losses. Chemical pesticides are the commonly used control strategy among farmers. The efficacy of baculoviruses against FAW has been proven; however, farmers may not be able to afford the products. The use of farmer-produced baculovirus mixtures could provide an opportunity for a nature-based solution for FAW at a low cost. This study evaluated the potential of recycled virus inoculum from FAW larvae treated with a commercial baculovirus (Littovir) for the management of FAW under laboratory and field conditions. In the laboratory, the virus from 25, 50, 75 and 100 FAW larvae caused variable mortality among FAW instars. The highest mortality (45%) among 1<sup>st</sup>–3<sup>rd</sup> instars was caused by Littovir followed by recycled virus inoculum from 100 FAW larvae (36%). Under field conditions, even though recycled virus inoculum did not offer adequate protection against FAW damage, the maize yield was comparable to that of commercial insecticide-treated plots and similar to that of control plots. This study has shown the potential use of recycled virus inoculum from infected larvae for the management of FAW. This would offer the farmers a sustainable and affordable option for the management of FAW as it would require the farmers to purchase the commercial baculovirus once and collect larvae from treated plots for repeat applications. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T23:51:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7c1a2ac2b45244c880d3529f1c318430 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-4450 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T23:51:30Z |
| publishDate | 2023-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Insects |
| spelling | doaj.art-7c1a2ac2b45244c880d3529f1c3184302023-11-19T01:36:29ZengMDPI AGInsects2075-44502023-08-0114868610.3390/insects14080686Management of <i>Spodoptera frugiperda</i> J.E. Smith Using Recycled Virus Inoculum from Larvae Treated with Baculovirus under Field ConditionsAllan Mweke0Ivan Rwomushana1Arthur Okello2Duncan Chacha3Jingfei Guo4Belinda Luke5Department of Animal Health and Production, School of Pure and Applied Sciences, Mount Kenya University, Thika P.O. Box 342-01000, KenyaCentre for Agriculture and Biosciences International (CABI) Africa, Canary Bird, 673 Limuru Road, Muthaiga, Nairobi P.O. Box 633-00621, KenyaCentre for Agriculture and Biosciences International (CABI) Africa, Canary Bird, 673 Limuru Road, Muthaiga, Nairobi P.O. Box 633-00621, KenyaCentre for Agriculture and Biosciences International (CABI) Africa, Canary Bird, 673 Limuru Road, Muthaiga, Nairobi P.O. Box 633-00621, KenyaInstitute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (IPP-CAAS), Beijing 100193, ChinaCentre for Agriculture and Biosciences International (CABI), Bakeham Lane, Egham, Surrey TW20 9TY, UKFall armyworm (FAW) is a major pest of maize and causes huge losses. Chemical pesticides are the commonly used control strategy among farmers. The efficacy of baculoviruses against FAW has been proven; however, farmers may not be able to afford the products. The use of farmer-produced baculovirus mixtures could provide an opportunity for a nature-based solution for FAW at a low cost. This study evaluated the potential of recycled virus inoculum from FAW larvae treated with a commercial baculovirus (Littovir) for the management of FAW under laboratory and field conditions. In the laboratory, the virus from 25, 50, 75 and 100 FAW larvae caused variable mortality among FAW instars. The highest mortality (45%) among 1<sup>st</sup>–3<sup>rd</sup> instars was caused by Littovir followed by recycled virus inoculum from 100 FAW larvae (36%). Under field conditions, even though recycled virus inoculum did not offer adequate protection against FAW damage, the maize yield was comparable to that of commercial insecticide-treated plots and similar to that of control plots. This study has shown the potential use of recycled virus inoculum from infected larvae for the management of FAW. This would offer the farmers a sustainable and affordable option for the management of FAW as it would require the farmers to purchase the commercial baculovirus once and collect larvae from treated plots for repeat applications.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/14/8/686fall armywormdamageLittovirinsecticidesmaizeyield |
| spellingShingle | Allan Mweke Ivan Rwomushana Arthur Okello Duncan Chacha Jingfei Guo Belinda Luke Management of <i>Spodoptera frugiperda</i> J.E. Smith Using Recycled Virus Inoculum from Larvae Treated with Baculovirus under Field Conditions Insects fall armyworm damage Littovir insecticides maize yield |
| title | Management of <i>Spodoptera frugiperda</i> J.E. Smith Using Recycled Virus Inoculum from Larvae Treated with Baculovirus under Field Conditions |
| title_full | Management of <i>Spodoptera frugiperda</i> J.E. Smith Using Recycled Virus Inoculum from Larvae Treated with Baculovirus under Field Conditions |
| title_fullStr | Management of <i>Spodoptera frugiperda</i> J.E. Smith Using Recycled Virus Inoculum from Larvae Treated with Baculovirus under Field Conditions |
| title_full_unstemmed | Management of <i>Spodoptera frugiperda</i> J.E. Smith Using Recycled Virus Inoculum from Larvae Treated with Baculovirus under Field Conditions |
| title_short | Management of <i>Spodoptera frugiperda</i> J.E. Smith Using Recycled Virus Inoculum from Larvae Treated with Baculovirus under Field Conditions |
| title_sort | management of i spodoptera frugiperda i j e smith using recycled virus inoculum from larvae treated with baculovirus under field conditions |
| topic | fall armyworm damage Littovir insecticides maize yield |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/14/8/686 |
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