INTEGRATION OF ENTOMOPATHOGENIC NEMATODES WITH BACILLUS-THURINGIENSISOR PESTICIDAL SOAP FOR CONTROL OF INSECT PESTS

The integration of entomopathogenic nematodes and Bacillus thuringiens is subspecies kurstaki or a pesticidal soap controlled insect pests in habiting the soil and foliage in the greenhouse. The nematode Heterorh abditis bacteriophora controlled larvae of the masked chafer Cycloceph ala hirta or the black vine weevil Otiorhynchus sulcatus in the soil a nd a commercial formulation of B. thuringiensis (Javelin) controlled l arvae of the cabbage looper Trichoplusia ni on foliage. The combinatio n of H. bacteriophora or Steinernema carpocapsae with a pesticidal soa p (M-Pede) was effective against larvae of the spotted cucumber beetle Diabrotica undecimpunctata undecimpunctata in soil and all feeding st ages of the cabbage aphid Breuicoryne brassicae on foliage. After comb ining and immediately applying both the nematode and B. thuringiensis or pesticidal soap, positive results were obtained against insects in the soil and on foliage. The combinations of nematode and B. thuringie nsis or pesticidal soap were held for 4 days with or without aeration, and the fate of the nematodes was observed daily. Both nematode speci es survived well in the B. thuringiensis formulations with aeration. W ithout aeration, S. carpocapsae was unaffected by the B. thuringiensis formulations, but H, bacteriophora showed poor survival in the two co mmercial formulations (Javelin after 1 day and Biobit after 3 days). W ith or without aeration, both nematode species were adversely affected in the pesticidal soap, but H. bacteriophora showed a higher mortalit y rate than S carpocapsae. (C) 1995 Academic Press, Inc.