How entomopathogenic nematodes enter into host body- Nematode information? / November 29, 2011 by Ganpati Jagdale

Entomopathogenic nematodes- Mode of Infection In the soil environment, infective juveniles of entomopathogenic nematodes (Figure 1.) are always searching for the insect hosts to infect, kill, feed and reproduce. Once the infective juveniles of both Steinernematid (Steinernema spp.) and Heterorhabditid (Heterorhabditis spp.) nematodes locate any larval, pupal or adult stages of their insect host, they will rush to find any easy entry routes/points to enter into the insect host body.

Why some insect-parasitic nematodes are called entomopathogenic nematodes? / November 18, 2011 by Ganpati Jagdale

Entomopathogenic Nematodes- Nematode Information Insect-parasitic nematodes that belong to both Steinernematidae and Heterorhabditidae families are also called as entomopathogenic nematodes because they cause disease to their insect hosts with the help of mutualistically associated symbiotic bacterial pathogens.

Biological control of stored grain pests with Entomopathogenic nematodes / November 2, 2011 by Ganpati Jagdale

Stored grain/ product pests: Nematode Information Several stored grain/product insect pests like Indian meal moth (Plodia interpunctella), Mediterranean flour moth (Ephestia kuehniella), Sawtoothed grain beetle (Oryzaephilus surinamensis), Mealworms (Tenebrio molitor), Red flour beetle (Tribolium castaneum) and Warehouse beetle (Trogoderma variabile) attack and destroy large quantities of stored grains and products during long-term storage in farm bins, grain processing facilities, warehouses, retail stores, and eventually also on the consumer shelves.

Virulence Mechanisms of symbiotic bacteria Photorhabdus and Xenorhabdus spp / October 29, 2011 by Ganpati Jagdale

Entomopathogenic nematodes and their symbiotic bacteria- Nematode Information

Molecular studies demonstrated that the closely related Photorhabdus, symbiotic bacteria of Heterorhabditis nematodes and Xenorhabdus, symbiotic bacteria of Steinernematid nematodes have developed totally different molecular strategies for the same objective of virulence to insects and symbiosis with the nematode.

These findings were presented by An, R. and Grewal, P.S. at the 50th annual meeting of the Society of Nematologists held in Corvallis, Oregon from July 17-20, 2011.

Occurrence of entomopathogenic nematodes in Egypt: Nematode Information / October 29, 2011 by Ganpati Jagdale

Entomopathogenic nematodes from Egypt

The occurrence and distribution of entomopathogenic nematodes including Heterorhabditis indica, Steinernema abbasi and Steinernema carpocapsae have been reported from four geographical regions (Northern, Middle, Southern and Sinai Peninsula) of Egypt.

These findings were presented by Abu-Shady, N.M., Shamseldean, M.M., Abd-Elbary, N.A. and Stock, S.P. at the 50th annual meeting of the Society of Nematologists held in Corvallis, Oregon from July 17-20, 2011.

Entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema siamkayai from Thailand / October 7, 2011 by Ganpati Jagdale

An entomopathogenic nematode from Thailand:Nematode Information Based on the morphological and molecular studies, entomopathogenic nematode, Steinernema siamkayai was reported as a new species from Thailand in 1998.

Publication:

Stock, S.P., Somsook, V. and Reid, A.P. 1998. Steinernema siamkayai n. sp. (Rhabditida: Steinernematidae), an entomopathogenic nematode from Thailand. Systematic Parasitology 41: 105-113.

Entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema siamkayai reported from India- Nematode information / October 7, 2011 by Ganpati Jagdale

A warm-adapted entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema siamkayai Tiruchirappalli strain can cause 45-100% larval mortality of various insect species including Galleria mellonella, Spodoptera exigua, Ceratitis capitata, Cydia splendana and Tenebrio molitor when tested under laboratory conditions at temperatures between 15- 37C (Raja et al., 2011).

Entomopathogenic nematodes for the biological control of Colorado potato beetles- Nematode information / October 4, 2011 by Ganpati Jagdale

Entomopathogenic nematodes and Colorado potato beetle

Colorado potato beetles (Leptinotarsa decemlineata) are a most damaging pest of potatoes but they can also cause a significant damage to tomatoes and eggplants.
Generally, both adults and larvae feed voraciously on leaves causing hundreds of millions dollars in yield loss each year in the United States.
Many chemical insecticides have been recommended to control these beetles but unfortunately beetles have an ability to develop resistance to insecticides.
Entomopathogenic nematodes as biological control agents could provide an alternative to chemical pesticides in management of Colorado potato beetles.
As entomopathogenic nematodes naturally found soil, they are very effective against soil dwelling stages of host insect pests. For example, mature larvae of Colorado potato beetle that moves in the soil for pupation can be a very good target for entomopathogenic nematodes.
Commercially available entomopathogenic nematode species including Steinernema carpocapsae, Steinernema feltiae, Heterorhabditis megidis, Heterorhabditis marelata and Heterorhabditis bacteriophora have showed a very high efficacy against adult, larval and prepupal stages of Colorado potato beetles when tested in soil under laboratory conditions.

Publications:

Ebrahimi, L., Niknam, G. and Lewis, E. E. 2011. Lethal and sublethal effects of Iranian isolates of Steinernema feltiae and Heterorhabditis bacteriophora on the Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata. Biocontrol 56: 781-788.
Ebrahimi, L.,Niknam, G.and Dunphy, G.B. 2011. Hemocyte responses of the Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata, and the greater wax moth, Galleria mellonella, to the entomopathogenic nematodes, Steinernema feltiae andHeterorhabditis bacteriophora . Journal of Insect Science 11, Article Number: 75.
Armer, C.A., Berry, R.E., Reed, G.L. and Jepsen, S.J. 2004. Colorado potato beetle control by application of the entomopathogenic nematode Heterorhabditis marelata and potato plant alkaloid manipulation. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata. 111: 47-58.
Berry, R.E., Liu, J. and Reed, G. 1997. Comparison of endemic and exotic entomopathogenic nematode species for control of Colorado potato beetle (Coleoptera : Chrysomelidae). Journal of Economic Entomology. 90: 1528-1533.
Cantelo, W.W. and Nickle, W.R. 1992. Susceptibility of prepupae of the Colorado potato beetle (coleoptera, chrysomelidae) to entomopathogenic nematodes (Rhabditida, Steinernematidae, Heterorhabditidae). Journal of Entomological Science. 27: 37-43.
Nickle, W.R., Connick, W.J. and Cantelo, W.W. 1994. Effects of pesta-pelletized Steinernema-carpocapsae (all) on western corn rootworms and colorado potato beetles. Journal of Nematology. 26: 249-250.
Trdan, S., Vidrih, M., Andjus, L. and Laznik, Z. 2009. Activity of four entomopathogenic nematode species against different developmental stages of Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae. Helminthologia. 46: 14-20.

Entomopathogenic nematodes for the biological control of False codling moth- Nematode information / September 22, 2011 by Ganpati Jagdale

Entomopathogenic nematodes and False codling moth

A presence of entomopathogenic nematode species including Steinernema khoisanae, Steinernema yirgalemense, Steinernema citrae, Heterorhabditis bacteriophora and Heterorhabditis zealandica have been reported in citrus orchards in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga provinces of South Africa (Malan et al., 2011).
All the above nematode species have showed a very high virulence against false codling moth, Thaumatotibia leucotreta an economically important pest of citrus in South Africa. For example, S. yirgalemense can cause over 74% mortality of both larval and pupal mortality of false codling moth when applied at the rate of 50-200 infective juveniles/ larval or pupal stages of false codling moth.
Two entomopathogenic nematode species including S. yirgalemense and S. citrae were reported for the first time from South Africa (Malan et al., 2011).

Read following papers on entomopathogenic nematodes from South Africa

de Waal, J.Y., Malan, A.P. and Addison, M.F. 2011. Evaluating mulches together with Heterorhabditis zealandica (Rhabditida: Heterorhabditidae) for the control of diapausing codling moth larvae, Cydia pomonella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). Biocontrol Science and Technology 21: 255-270.

de Waal, J.Y., Malan, A.P., Levings, J. and Addison, M.F. 2010. Key elements in the successful control of diapausing codling moth, Cydia pomonella (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) in wooden fruit bins with a South African isolate of Heterorhabditis zealandica (Rhabditida: Heterorhabditidae). Biocontrol Science and Technology. 20: 489-502.

Hatting, J., Stock, S.P. and Hazir, S. 2009. Diversity and distribution of entomopathogenic nematodes (Steinernematidae, Heterorhabditidae) in South Africa. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology 102: 120-128.

Malan, A.P., Knoetze, R. and Moore, S.D. 2011. Isolation and identification of entomopathogenic nematodes from citrus orchards in South Africa and their biocontrol potential against false codling moth. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology 108: 115-125.

Malan, A.P., Nguyen, K. B. and Addison, M. F. 2006. Entomopathogenic nematodes (Steinernematidae and Heterorhabditidae) from the southwestern parts of South Africa. African Plant Protection 12: 65-69.

Malan, A.P., Nguyen, K.B., de Waal, J.Y. and Tiedt, L. 2008. Heterorhabditis safricana n. sp (Rhabditida : Heterorhabditidae), a new entomopathogenic nematode from South Africa. Nematology 10: 381-396.

Entomopathogenic nematode identification with a quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) / September 15, 2011 by Ganpati Jagdale

Entomopathogenic nematodes and qPCR Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) technique can be used for the identification of entomopathogenic nematodes in the both Heterorhabditidae and Steinernematodae families directly from soil samples.

Species specific primers and TaqMan (R) probes from the ITS rDNA region for the EPNs were used for the identification of four species of entomopathogenic nematodes including Heterorhabditis bacteriophora, Steinernema carpocapsae, Steinernema feltiae and Steinernema scapterisci (Campos-Herrera et al., 2011).

A publication on indentification of entomopathogenic nematodes using quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) technique.

Campos-Herrera, R., El-Borai, F.E., Stuart, R.J., Graham, J.H. and Duncan, L.W. 2011. Entomopathogenic nematodes, phoretic Paenibacillus spp., and the use of real time quantitative PCR to explore soil food webs in Florida citrus groves. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology 108: 30-39.

Entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema carpocapsae for the control of red palm weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus- Nematode Information / September 15, 2011 by Ganpati Jagdale

It has been demonstrated that the curative applications of the entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema carpocapsae in a chitosan formulation can reduce the population of red palm weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus infesting Cretan Date Palm, Phoenix theophrasti (Dembilio et al., 2011). Read following papers for more information.

Dembilio, O., Karamaouna, F., Kontodimas, D. C., Nomikou, M. and Jacas, J. A. 2011. Short communication. Susceptibility of Phoenix theophrasti (Palmae: Coryphoideae) to Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) and its control using Steinernema carpocapsae in a chitosan formulation. Spanish Journal of Agricultural Research 9: 623-626.

Dembilio, O., Llacer, E., de Altube, M.D.M. and Jacas, J.A. 2010. Field efficacy of imidacloprid and Steinernema carpocapsae in a chitosan formulation against the red palm weevil Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in Phoenix. Pest Management Science 66: 365-370.

Entomopathogenic nematodes for the biological control of alfalfa weevil, Hypera postica / September 12, 2011 by Ganpati Jagdale

Heterorhabditis indica and Steinernema carpocapsae for controlling alfalfa weevil Application of Heterorhabditis indica and S. carpocapase at the rate 1 billion nematodes per hectare can reduce 72 and 50% population of alfalfa weevil, Hypera postica grubs, respectively. Another entomopathogenic nematode, Steinemema thermophillum was also effective in killing H. postica grubs (Shah et al., 2011).

Read following paper for information on the effect of entomopathogenic nematodes on alfalfa weevil

Shah, N.K., Azmi, M.I. and Tyagi, P.K. 2011. Pathogenicity of Rhabditid nematodes (Nematoda: Heterorhabditidae and Steinernematidae) to the grubs of alfalfa weevil, Hypera postica (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Range Management and Agroforestry 32: 64-67.

First record of entomopathogenic nematodes in Labanon / September 9, 2011 by Ganpati Jagdale

A presence of entomopathogenic nematode species including Heterorhabditis bacteriophora and Steinernema feltiae has been reported for the first time in Lebanon (Noujeim et al., 2011). Read following paper for survey methods

Noujeim, E., Khater, C., Pages, S., Ogier, J.C., Tailliez, P., Hamze, M. and Thaler, O. 2011. The first record of entomopathogenic nematodes (Rhabiditiae: Steinernematidae and Heterorhabditidae) in natural ecosystems in Lebanon: A biogeographic approach in the Mediterranean region. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology 107: 82-85.

Entomopathogenic nematodes can be delivered through infected insect cadavers in commercial growing media / September 8, 2011 by Ganpati Jagdale

Recently, Deol et al. (2011) demonstrated that entomopathogenic nematodes, Steinernema carpocapsae, can be delivered via infected Galleria mellonella or Tenebrio molitor cadavers in the Scotts commercial growing medium, Miracle-Gro (R). Read following papers for more information on delivery of entomopathogenic nematodes using nematode infected cadavers

Ansari, M.A., Hussain, M. and Moens, M. 2009. Formulation and application of entomopathogenic nematode-infected cadavers for control of Hoplia philanthus in turf grass. Pest Management Science. 65: 367-374.

Bruck, D.J., Shapiro-Ilan, D.I. and Lewis, E.E. 2005. Evaluation of application technologies of entomopathogenic nematodes for control of the black vine weevil. Journal of Economic Entomology 98: 1884-1889.

Deol, Y.S., Jagdale, G.B., Canas, L. and Grewal, P.S. 2011. Delivery of entomopathogenic nematodes directly through commercial growing media via the inclusion of infected host cadavers: A novel. Biological Control 58: 60-67.

Shapiro-Ilan, D.I., Morales-Ramos, J.A., Rojas, M.G. and Tedders, W.L. 2010. Effects of a novel entomopathogenic nematode-infected host formulation on cadaver integrity, nematode yield, and suppression of Diaprepes abbreviatus and Aethina tumida. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology. 103: 103-108.

Spence, K.O., Stevens, G.N., Arimoto, H., Ruiz-Vega, J., Kaya, H.K. and Lewis, E.E. 2011. Effect of insect cadaver desiccation and soil water potential during rehydration on entomopathogenic nematode (Rhabditida: Steinernematidae and Heterorhabditidae) production and virulence. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology 106: 268-273.

Antimicrobial activities of symbiotic bacteria of entomopathogenic nematodes / September 7, 2011 by Ganpati Jagdale

Entomopathogenic nematode symbiotic bacteria and antimicrobial activity The compounds produced by entomopathogenic nematode symbiotic bacteria Xenorhabdus bovienii have showed antimicrtobial activity against two fungus species including Botrytis cinerea and Phytophthora capsici (Fang et al., 2011). Both of these fungi causes diseases to many plant species.

Publications on antimicrobial activity of entomopathogenic nematode symbiotic bacteria.

Fang, X. L., Feng, J. T., Zhang, W. G., Wang, Y. H. and Zhang, X. 2010. Optimization of growth medium and fermentation conditions for improved antibiotic activity of Xenorhabdus nematophila TB using a statistical approach. African Journal of Biotechnology 9: 8068-8077.
Fang, X.L., Li, Z.Z., Wang, Y.H. and Zhang, X. 2011. In vitro and in vivo antimicrobial activity of Xenorhabdus bovienii YL002 against Phytophthora capsici and Botrytis cinerea. Journal of Applied Microbiology 111: 145-154.
Furgani, G., Boeszoermenyi, E., Fodor, A., Mathe-Fodor, A., Forst, S., Hogan, J.S., Katona, Z., Klein, M.G., Stackebrandt, E., Szentirmai, A., Sztaricskai, F. and Wolf, S. L. 2008. Xenorhabdus antibiotics: a comparative analysis and potential utility for controlling mastitis caused by bacteria. Journal of Applied Microbiology 104: 745-758.
Isaacson, P.J. and Webster, J.M. 2002. Antimicrobial activity of Xenorhabus sp RIO (Enterobacteriaceae), symbiont of the entomopathogenic nematode, Steinernema riobrave (Rhabditida : Steinernematidae). Journal of Invertebrate Pathology 79: 146-153.
Wang, Y.H., Fang, X.L., Li, Y.P. and Zhang, X. 2010. Effects of constant and shifting dissolved oxygen concentration on the growth and antibiotic activity of Xenorhabdus nematophila. Bioresource Technology 101: 7529-7536.
Wang, Y.H., Feng, J.T., Zhang, Q. and Zhang, X. 2008. Optimization of fermentation condition for antibiotic production by Xenorhabdus nematophila with response surface methodology. Journal of Applied Microbiology 104s: 735-744.
Yang, X.F., Qiu, D.W., Yang, H.W., Liu, Z., Zeng, H.M. and Yuan, J.J. 2011. Antifungal activity of xenocoumacin 1 from Xenorhabdus nematophilus var. pekingensis against Phytophthora infestans. World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology 27: 523-528.

Use an entomopathogenic nematode, Heterorhabditis bacteriophora to control long-horned beetle, Dorcadion pseudopreissi infesting turf. / September 6, 2011 by Ganpati Jagdale

The application of an entomopathogenic nematode Heterorhabditis bacteriophora at the rate of 0.5 million infective juveniles per square meter can significantly reduce the population of Dorcadion pseudopreissi infesting turf grass (Lolium perenne) in the field (Susurluk et al. (2011). Read following papers for more information.

Susurluk, I.A., Kumral, N.A., Bilgili, U. and Acikgoz, E. 2011. Control of a new turf pest, Dorcadion pseudopreissi (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), with the entomopathogenic nematode Heterorhabditis bacteriophora. Journal of Pest Science 84: 321-326.

Susurluk, I.A., Kumral, N.A., Peters, A., Bilgili, U. and Acikgoz, E. 2009. Pathogenicity, reproduction and foraging behaviours of some entomopathogenic nematodes on a new turf pest, Dorcadion pseudopreissi (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae). Biocontrol Science and Technology 19: 585-594.

Entomopathogenic nematodes symposia at 50th Annual Meeting of the Society of Nematologists held in Corvallis, Oregon (July 17-20, 2011) / September 5, 2011 by Ganpati Jagdale

Four symposia on entomopathogenic nematodes were organized by Drs. Ganpati B. Jagdale, Raquel Campos-Herrera, Claudia Dolinski, David I. Shapiro-Ilan and Parwinder S. Grewal at 50^th Annual meeting of the Society of Nematologists which was held at the Oregon State University Corvallis, Oregon from July 17 to July 20, 2011. A total of 22 invited speakers shared their research and extension experience in the field of Entomopathogenic Nematology. Following is a list of topics covered by various speakers in each symposium.

SYMPOSIUM I: Entomopathogenic Nematodes as Model Systems in Ecology

Convener: Raquel Campos-Herrera.

Poinar, G.O.Jr. 2011. Legacy of entomopathogenic nematology: The early Years (1930-1990).

Barbercheck, M. 2011. Peering into the black box: building an understanding of the population biology of entomopathogenic nematodes.

Stock, P. 2011. Entomopathogenic nematodes and their bacterial Symbionts: how many, where and how?

Griffin, C. 2011. Behavioural ecology of entomopathogenic nematodes: Past, present and future.

Hoy, C.W. and Grewal, P.S. 2011. Entomopathogenic nematode ecological modeling, from frontiers of Ecology to the future of agriculture.

Gaur, H. 2011. The impact of climate change on plant-parasitic nematodes.

SYMPOSIUM II: Entomopathogenic Nematodes as Model Systems in Stress Physiology and Evolutionary Biology

Conveners: Ganpati B. Jagdale and Parwinder S. Grewal

Grewal, P.S. 2011. Entomopathogenic nematology since the 1990’s: the openings of a new era.

Itamar Glazer, I. 2011. How to manage daily stresses: the entomopathogenic nematode perspective.

Perry, R. N. and Ehlers, R.-U. 2011. Enhancing survival attributes of entomopathogenic Nematodes.

Adler R. Dillman, A.R., Mortazavi, A. and Sternberg, P.W. 2011. Genomic analysis of steinernema: informing functional Biology and Ecology.

Sternberg, P.W. and Xiaodong Bai, X. 2011. Genome sequencing and beyond.

SYMPOSIUM III: Entomopathogenic Nematodes as Model Systems: Contributions to Symbiosis

Convener: Raquel Campos-Herrera

Somvanshi,V.S., Sloup, R. E., Crawford, J.M., Martin, A. R., Heidt, A.J., Clardy, J.C. and Ciche, T.A. 2011. How Heterorhabditis Bacteriophora handle their insect pathogenic symbionts.

Goodrich-Blair, H. and Forst, S. 2011. Understanding microbial symbiosis using the association between Xenorhabdus bacteria and Steinernema nematodes.

Clarke, D.J. 2011. The regulation of symbiosis in Photorhabdus.

An, R. and P.S. Grewal, P.S. 2011. In-vivo gene expression reveals differences in molecular features used by Photorhabdus and Xenorhabdus for virulence and symbiosis.

ffrench-Constant, R.H., Wilkinson, P. and Dowling, A.J. 2011. The worm that turned: bacterial symbionts of entomopathogenic nematodes as a potent source of novel bacterial toxins.

SYMPOSIUM IV: Entomopathogenic Nematodes as Biological Control Agents in Sustainable Agriculture.

Convener: Claudia Dolinski

Georgis, R. 2011. Commercialization of entomopathogenic nematodes: an insider’s perspective.

Lacey, L.A. and Koppenhöfer, A.M. 2011. Successes with entomopathogenic nematodes for control of insect pests above and below ground.

Han, R. 2011. Production technology and field application of entomopathogenic nematodes in china.

Shapiro-Ilan, D. I. and Dolinski, C. 2011. Application technology for entomopathogenic nematodes.

Ganguly, S. and Dolinski, C. 2011. New advances in entomopathogenic nematodes around the world.

Duncan, L. 2011. Grower acceptance of entomopathogenic nematodes in Florida.

Please see the official program booklet of the Society of Nematologists for the abstracts of individual talks.

Volatiles released by plant roots upon injuries caused by insect pests can serve as attractants for entomopathogenic nematodes / August 29, 2011 by Ganpati Jagdale

Recently, Hiltpold et al. (2011) studied the relationship between synthesis and release of (E)-beta-caryophyllene (E beta C) in maize roots upon feeding by larvae of the Western corn root worm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera and attraction of the entomopathogenic nematode Heterorhabditis megidis. These researchers reported that nematodes were attracted to the maize roots that were injured by D. virgifera virgifera. Read following papers for more information.

Ali, J.G., Alborn, H.T. and Stelinski, L.L. 2011. Constitutive and induced subterranean plant volatiles attract both entomopathogenic and plant parasitic nematodes. Journal of Ecology 99: 26-35.

Hiltpold, I., Erb, M., Robert, C.A.M. and Turlings, T.C.J. 2011. Systemic root signalling in a belowground, volatile-mediated tritrophic interaction. Plant cell and Environment 34: 1267-1275.

Hiltpold, I., Baroni, M., Toepfer, S., Kuhlmann, U. and Turlings, T.C.J. 2010. Selection of entomopathogenic nematodes for enhanced responsiveness to a volatile root signal helps to control a major root pest. Journal of Experimental Biology 213: 2417-2423.

Hiltpold, I., Toepfer, S., Kuhlmann, U. and Turlings, T.C.J. 2010. How maize root volatiles affect the efficacy of entomopathogenic nematodes in controlling the western corn rootworm? Chemoecology. 20: 155-162.

Mass production of Steinernema carpocapsae / August 28, 2011 by Ganpati Jagdale

The mass production of the entomopathogenic nematode, Steinernema carpocapsae can be improved by promoting the mating process among the first generation adult nematodes (Chavarria-Hernandez et al., 2011). Read following papers for detail information on the entomopathogenic nematode mass production techniques.

Chavarria-Hernandez, N. and de la Torre, M. 2001. Population growth kinetics of the nematode, Steinernema feltiae, in submerged monoxenic culture. Biotechnology Letters 23: 311-315.

Chavarria-Hernandez, N., Espino-Garcia, J.J., Sanjuan-Galindo, R. and Rodriguez-Hernandez, A.I. 2006. Monoxenic liquid culture of the entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema carpocapsae using a culture medium containing whey kinetics and modeling. Journal of Biotechnology 125: 75-84.

Chavarria-Hernandez, N., Islas-Lopez, M.A., Maciel-Vergara, G., Gayosso-Canales, M. and Rodriguez-Hernandez, A.I. 2008. Kinetics of infective juvenile production of the entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema carpocapsae in submerged monoxenic culture. Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering 31: 419-426.

Chavarria-Hernandez, N., Islas-Lopez, M.A., Maciel-Vergara, G., Pastrana, B.R.R. and Rodriguez-Hernandez, A.I. 2008. Effects of culture media on the kinetics of infective juvenile production of the entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema carpocapsae, in submerged monoxenic culture. Revista Mexicana de Ingenieria Quimica 713-720.

Chavarria-Hernandez, N., Maciel-Vergara, G., Chavarria-Hernandez, J.C., Castro-Rosas, J.,Rodriguez-Pastrana, B.R., de la Torre-Martinez, M. and Rodriguez-Hernandez, A.I. 2011. Mass production of the entomopathogenic nematode, Steinernema carpocapsae CABA01, through the submerged monoxenic culture in two internal-loop airlift bioreactors with some geometric differences. Biochemical Engineering Journal 55: 145-153.

Chavarria-Hernandez, N., Ortega-Morales, E., Vargas-Torres, A., Chavarria-Hernandez, J.C. and Rodriguez-Hernandez, A.I. 2010. Submerged Monoxenic Culture of the Entomopathogenic Nematode, Steinernema carpocapsae CABA01, in a Mechanically Agitated Bioreactor: Evolution of the Hydrodynamic and Mass Transfer Conditions. Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering 15: 580-589.

Chavarria-Hernandez, N., Rodriguez-Hernandez, A.I., Perez-Guevara, F. and de la Torre, M. 2003. Evolution of culture broth rheological properties during propagation of the entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema carpocapsae, in submerged monoxenic culture. Biotechnology Progress 19: 405-409.

Chavarria-Hernandez, N., Sanjuan-Galindo, R., Rodriguez-Pastrana, B.R., Medina-Torres, L. and Rodriguez-Hernandez, A.I. 2007. Submerged monoxenic culture of the entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema carpocapsae in an internal-loop airlift bioreactor using two configurations of the inner tube. Biotechnology and Bioengineering 98: 167-176.

de la Torre, M. 2003. Challenges for mass production of nematodes in submerged culture. Biotechnology Advances 21: 407-416.

Ehlers, R.U. 2001. Mass production of entomopathogenic nematodes for plant protection. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology 56: 623-633.

Gil, G.H., Choo, H.Y. and Gaugler, R. 2002. Enhancement of entomopathogenic nematode production in in-vitro liquid culture of Heterorhabditis bacteriophora by fed-batch culture with glucose supplementation. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology 58: 751-755.

Han, R.C. and Ehlers, R.U. 2001. Effect of Photorhabdus luminescens phase variants on the in vivo and in vitro development and reproduction of the entomopathogenic nematodes Heterorhabditis bacteriophora and Steinernema carpocapsae. FEMS Microbiology Ecology 35: 239-247.

Hirao, A. and Ehlers, R. -U. 2009. Effect of temperature on the development of Steinernema carpocapsae and Steinernema feltiae (Nematoda: Rhabditida) in liquid culture. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology 84: 1061-1067.

Hirao, A. and Ehlers, R. -U. 2009. Influence of cell density and phase variants of bacterial symbionts (Xenorhabdus spp.) on dauer juvenile recovery and development of biocontrol nematodes Steinernema carpocapsae and S. feltiae (Nematoda: Rhabditida). Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology 84: 77-85.

Hirao, A. and Ehlers, R. -U. 2010. Influence of inoculum density on population dynamics and dauer juvenile yields in liquid culture of biocontrol nematodes Steinernema carpocapsae and S. feltiae (Nematoda: Rhabditida). Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology 85: 507-515.

Islas-Lopez, M.A., Sanjuan-Galindo, R., Rodriguez-Hernandez, A.L. and Chavarria-Hernandez, N. 2005. Monoxenic production of the entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema carpocapsae using culture media containing agave juice (aguamiel) from Mexican maguey-pulquero (Agave spp). Effects of the contents of nitrogen, carbohydrates and fat on infective juvenile production. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology 68: 91-97.

Johnigk, S.A., Ecke, F., Poehling, M. and Ehlers, R.U. 2004. Liquid culture mass production of biocontrol nematodes, Heterorhabditis bacteriophora (Nematoda : Rhabditida): improved timing of dauer juvenile inoculation. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology 64: 651-658.

Shapiro-Ilan, D.I. and Gaugler, R. 2002. Production technology for entomopathogenic nematodes and their bacterial symbionts. Journal of Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology 28: 137-146.

Yoo, S.K., Brown, I., Cohen, N., et al. 2001. Medium concentration influencing growth of the entomopathogenic nematode Heterorhabditis bacteriophora and its symbiotic bacterium Photorhabdus luminescens. Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology 11: 644-648.

Influence of potting media on the virulence of entomopathogenic nematodes against black vine weevil, Otiorhynchus sulcatus / August 25, 2011 by Ganpati Jagdale

It has been demonstrated that five different types of commercial potting media including peat, bark, coir, and peat blended with 10% and 20% compost green waste can influence the virulence of entomopathogenic nematodes against third-instar black vine weevil, Otiorhynchus sulcatus. For example, Heterorhabditis species including Heterorhabditis bacteriophora UWS1 strain, H. megidis, H. downesi can cause 100% mortality of black vine weevil grubs in all the five types of media but Steinernema species including Steinernema feltiae, S. carpocapsae, and S. kraussei can cause 100% black vine weevil grub mortality only in the peat blended with 20% compost green waste. These results suggest that when growers are selecting entomopathogenic nematodes to control black vine weevil, Otiorhynchus sulcatus in their nurseries/greenhouses, they should take into consideration the type of potting media used in growing their plants. Please read following paper for the information on the method of nematode application rates and timings.

Ansari, M. A. and Butt, T. M. 2011. Effect of potting media on the efficacy and dispersal of entomopathogenic nematodes for the control of black vine weevil, Otiorhynchus sulcatus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Biological Control 58: 310-318.

Ansari, M.A., Shah, F.A. and Butt, T.M. 2010. The entomopathogenic nematodeSteinernema kraussei and Metarhizium anisopliae work synergistically in controlling overwintering larvae of the black vine weevil, Otiorhynchus sulcatus, in strawberry growbags. Biocontrol Science and Technology. 20: 99-105.