Pesticide Compatibility with Entomopathogenic Nematode, Steinernema thermophilum (Nematoda: Rhabditida) Anes K.M.1,*, Ganguly S. Division of Nematology, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi-110 012, India 1Present Address: ICAR-Directorate of Soybean Research, Khandwa Road, Indore, 452 001, Madhya Pradesh, India *Corresponding author; E-mail: aneskm@gmail.com
Online published on 26 December, 2016. Abstract Entomopathogenic nematodes are lethal insect pathogens with immense biocontrol potential. Precise knowledge about its compatibility with pesticides would facilitate its use in integrated pest management programmes. Therefore, the compatibility of entomopathogenic nematode, Steinernema thermophilum was evaluated with common pesticides including 12 insecticides, 5 herbicides and 4 fungicides. More than 98% nematode survival was recorded even up to 7 days of exposure in all the pesticides evaluated, except in all the tested doses of triazophos, chlorpyrifos and endosulfan as well as in double the highest recommended dose of 2, 4-D sodium salt. The virulence evaluation of infective juveniles (IJs) exposed to the highest recommended doses of the pesticides against 4th instar larvae of Galleria mellonella confirmed the retention of virulence, except in IJs treated with triazophos, chlorpyrifos and endosulfan. The study concluded that, the recommended doses of pesticides namely acetamiprid, bifenthrin, carbosulfan, cypermethrin, deltamethrin, imidacloprid, lambdacyhalothrin, spinosad, thiomethoxam, atrazine, 2, 4-D sodium salt, cyhalofop-butyl, isoproturon, pendimethalin, validamycin, mancozeb, carbendazim and hexaconazole are absolutely compatible with S. thermophilum and could be tank mixed in spray mixtures for their combined application. Top Keywords Fungicide, Herbicide, Insecticide, Steinernema. Top |