Entomopathogenic nematode dispensing robot: NEMABOT

Abstract

Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN) are obligate endoparasites of many insect species and they are important biocontrol agents. Application strategies that improve precision and reduce labor would increase their potential in many cropping systems. We developed a unique robotic system to apply EPNs to a surface area precisely. The robotic system picks up EPNs from a suspension in a reservoir with a peristaltic pump and transfers them to an exact point with an exact amount. Four suspensions were prepared with four concentrations of EPNs; 0.1, 0.2, 0.4 and 0.8 g of commercial EPN product per 2 L of water. All suspensions were applied in three different amounts of water (25, 50 and 100 mL per application). In total, 12 different applications were conducted with the robot. Conical falcon centrifuge tubes were used to collect applied EPNs. Five samples (10 µl) were taken from collected 25, 50 and 100 mL EPN suspensions and the average nematode number in the samples were scaled to the whole suspension. Results of the experiments showed that all robot applications, except 25 mL–0.1 g dose, were not significantly different from those of the control treatment, application with a pipette.. Thus, the robotic system has been found to make consistent applications.