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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #81000
Title: CONTROL OF PINK BOLLWORM LARVAE IN ARIZONA AND TEXAS COTTON FIELDS USING THE ENTOMOPATHOGENIC NEMATODE STEINERNEMA RIOBRAVIS

Author
item Gouge, Dawn
item Lee, Linda
item STOLTMAN, MARK - USDA-ARS-WCRL PHOENIX AZ
item Van Berkum, Jamie
item Burke, Rebecca
item Jech, Lynn
item Henneberry, Thomas

Submitted to: National Cotton Council Beltwide Cotton Conference
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/1/1996
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Cotton fields were treated with an insect parasitic nematode for the control of pink bollworm. The nematodes were applied to strip plots and resulted in seed cotton yields 19 percent higher relative to yields from untreated plots.

Technical Abstract: Cotton fields were treated with entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema riobravis for control of Pink Bollworm. Pima S-7 cotton in AZ was treated at a rate of 1 billion nematodes/ac. Nematodes were applied using a spray rig with dropped nozzles and field irrigated. Pima S-6 cotton at TX was at a rate of 1.3 billion/ac. Nematodes were applied to irrigation channel during field irrigation. Methods resulted in excellent distribution of nematodes over treated areas as indicated by extraction of nematodes from soil samples. Nematodes applied in AZ persisted 19 days in large numbers, and recovered from furrows after 75 days. Number of cotton bolls infested with PBW was reduced by application of S. riobravis, and cotton yields from treated plots were 19 percent higher relative to cotton yields from untreated plots. In TX nematodes persisted for 16 days in large numbers and recovered from row and furrow bases after 50 days. Nematodes moved from furrow soil into cotton beds. Ten days after application, nematode distribution became fairly even, although number recovered from furrows was significantly higher than bed tops. The mortality of PBW larvae caged in biopsy cassettes was optimized on field irrigation 17 days after nematode application when nematodes had redistributed themselves. All caged PBW larvae were infected and killed by S. riobravis.