Viruses to control winter moth, Operophtera brumata (Lepidoptera: Geometridae)

An abandoned apple orchard in Victoria, British Columbia, was used to test winter moth nuclear polyhedrosis virus (NPV) in 1979. Concentrations of 10 super(8), 10 super(7) and 10 super(6) polyhedral inclusion bodies (PIB)/ml were applied at the rate of 1 l/tree using a backpack mistblower, soon afte...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of the Entomological Society of British Columbia 1981, Vol.78, p.17-24
Main Authors: Cunningham, J.C, Tonks, N.V, Kaupp, W.J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
biological control
Geometridae
nuclear polyhedrosis virus
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Summary:An abandoned apple orchard in Victoria, British Columbia, was used to test winter moth nuclear polyhedrosis virus (NPV) in 1979. Concentrations of 10 super(8), 10 super(7) and 10 super(6) polyhedral inclusion bodies (PIB)/ml were applied at the rate of 1 l/tree using a backpack mistblower, soon after the larvae hatched when buds were pre-pink and 8 days later when the buds were full pink. Each treatment was replicated on 6 trees; 6 trees were untreated checks. Best results were with 10 super(5) PIB/ml on pre-pink buds which caused 46% population reduction, a statistically significant saving of foliage and high levels of larval infection with both NPV and cytoplasmic polyhedrosis virus (CPV). Both viruses were found in larvae on the check trees and this was attributed to spray drift. The source of the CPV was investigated and found to be a contaminant of the NPV suspension in which the ratio of NPV:CPV PIB was 161:1. Despite the low level of CPV applied, up to 65% of the larvae were infected.
ISSN:0071-0733
1929-7890