Biosleeving with epiphytic bacteria as a novel approach to oviposition deterrence against the cocoa pod borer conopomorpha cramerella (Snellen) (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae)

Ibrahim Yusof, Sha'ari Shari Fuddin,

Abstract

A great deal of information have been generated on the efficacy of bacterial entomopathogens against insect pests. However, relatively little information is available for the cocoa pod borer (CPB), Conopomorpha cramerella (Snellen). The pathogenicity of seven isolates as entomopathogen was evaluated against the CPB adult and their effects as oviposition deterrent in an ambient laboratory environment of 28±2ºC and 60-90% RH. A Sigma® hand atomizer was used to deliver an even volume median diameter (VMD) droplet spray of 75 μm of 1 x 106 c.f.u. mL-1. The cells of all bacterial isolates tested could cause infection and inflicted mortality on the CPB adults. The isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Serratia marcescens significantly killed 93.33% of the CPB adults at the fourth day of exposure. The supernatant of S. marcescens also demonstrated significant kill of 86.66% of the CPB adults. The isolates P. aeruginosa and S. marcescens also significantly deterred the CPB moths from ovipositing activity, resulting in low mean number of eggs deposited per pod, 7.66 and 11.33 respectively, compared to the control. Subsequent exposures with supernatants reinforced the earlier findings whereby these supernatants significantly moderated oviposition activity of the CPB compared to the control. The integrated use of the bacterial cells and their supernatants as a biological barrier against oviposition activity on cocoa pods was discussed.

References

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