TY - JOUR
T1 - Entomopathogenic Nematodes for the Management of Plum Curculio in Highbush Blueberry
AU - Sousa, Ana Luiza
AU - Rodriguez-Saona, Cesar
AU - Holdcraft, Robert
AU - Kyryczenko-Roth, Vera
AU - Koppenhöfer, Albrecht M.
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by the New Jersey Blueberry and Cranberry Research Council. The authors thank Robert McDougall (Nielsen Fruit Entomology Lab), Jennifer Frake, Amanda Quadrel, Timothy Schwanitz (Blueberry/Cranberry Entomology Lab) and Victoria Appel, Rebbeka Figueiredo, Shane Foye (Turfgrass Entomology Lab) for assisting with laboratory and field work.
Funding Information:
Funding: This work was supported by the New Jersey Blueberry and Cranberry Research Council.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
PY - 2022/1
Y1 - 2022/1
N2 - Conotrachelus nenuphar Herbst (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is a key pest of stone and pome fruits in the United States. Application of certain entomopathogenic nematode (EPN) species has shown efficacy in some crops when targeting the larval stage of C. nenuphar in soil. To date, however, no EPNs have been tested for the control of this pest in highbush blueberries. In 2020, laboratory and field studies were conducted to: (1) determine the persistence of Steinernema riobrave, S. carpocapsae, S. feltiae, and Heterorhabditis bacteriophora in acidic blueberry soil; (2) compare the virulence of these EPNs to C. nenuphar larvae and pupae; and (3) compare the efficacy of these EPN species to control this pest in blueberry fields. The greatest persistence in blueberry soil was exhibited by S. riobrave followed by S. carpocapsae. Superior virulence was observed in S. riobrave against C. nenuphar larvae and pupae. Promising levels of virulence were also observed in S. carpocapsae and S. feltiae against the larvae, but S. scarabaei had low virulence. In the field, S. riobrave provided significantly higher levels of C. nenuphar suppression (90%) than the other EPNs. The field efficacy of S. riobrave against C. nenuphar at low and high rates was confirmed in 2021. Steinernema riobrave has the potential to become an important component in the management of C. nenuphar in highbush blueberry.
AB - Conotrachelus nenuphar Herbst (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is a key pest of stone and pome fruits in the United States. Application of certain entomopathogenic nematode (EPN) species has shown efficacy in some crops when targeting the larval stage of C. nenuphar in soil. To date, however, no EPNs have been tested for the control of this pest in highbush blueberries. In 2020, laboratory and field studies were conducted to: (1) determine the persistence of Steinernema riobrave, S. carpocapsae, S. feltiae, and Heterorhabditis bacteriophora in acidic blueberry soil; (2) compare the virulence of these EPNs to C. nenuphar larvae and pupae; and (3) compare the efficacy of these EPN species to control this pest in blueberry fields. The greatest persistence in blueberry soil was exhibited by S. riobrave followed by S. carpocapsae. Superior virulence was observed in S. riobrave against C. nenuphar larvae and pupae. Promising levels of virulence were also observed in S. carpocapsae and S. feltiae against the larvae, but S. scarabaei had low virulence. In the field, S. riobrave provided significantly higher levels of C. nenuphar suppression (90%) than the other EPNs. The field efficacy of S. riobrave against C. nenuphar at low and high rates was confirmed in 2021. Steinernema riobrave has the potential to become an important component in the management of C. nenuphar in highbush blueberry.
KW - Biological control
KW - Blueberry
KW - Conotrachelus nenuphar
KW - Steinernema riobrave
KW - Vaccinium corymbosum
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85122181700&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/biology11010045
DO - 10.3390/biology11010045
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85122181700
SN - 2079-7737
VL - 11
JO - Biology
JF - Biology
IS - 1
M1 - 45
ER -