Abstract
Nucleopolyhedroviruses (NPV, Baculoviridae) that infect lepidopteran pests have an established record as safe and effective biological insecticides. Here, we describe a new approach for the development of NPV-based insecticides. This technology takes advantage of the unique way in which these viruses are transmitted as collective infectious units, and the genotypic diversity present in natural virus populations. A ten-step procedure is described involving genotypic variant selection, mixing, coinfection and intraspecific coocclusion of variants within viral occlusion bodies. Using two examples, we demonstrate how this approach can be used to produce highly pathogenic virus preparations for pest control. As restricted host range limits the uptake of NPV-based insecticides, this technology has recently been adapted to produce custom-designed interspecific mixtures of viruses that can be applied to control complexes of lepidopteran pests on particular crops, as long as a shared host species is available for virus production. This approach to the development of NPV-based insecticides has the potential to be applied across a broad range of NPV-pest pathosystems.
Highlights
Biological insecticides based on pathogenic microorganisms form part of the larger group of biorational insecticides that are selective, low-risk products and technologies that conserve natural enemy populations and present a reduced risk to non-target organisms and the environment (Ishaaya and Horowitz, 2009)
Lepidopteran nucleopolyhedroviruses (NPVs) (Family Baculoviridae, genus Alphabaculovirus) are virulent pathogens that lethally infect the larval stages of these insects, including many species of pests. Natural isolates of these viruses have been used as the active ingredients of Nucleopolyhedrovirus Coocclusion for Bioinsecticide Development biological insecticides in developed and developing countries worldwide (Moscardi et al, 2011; Haase et al, 2015; Sun, 2015)
We describe a new approach to the development of the active ingredient of NPV-based insecticides that we have successfully employed over the past decade
Summary
Biological insecticides based on pathogenic microorganisms form part of the larger group of biorational insecticides that are selective, low-risk products and technologies that conserve natural enemy populations and present a reduced risk to non-target organisms and the environment (Ishaaya and Horowitz, 2009). The need for effective modern biorational products is driven by the increasing incidence of insecticide resistance in agricultural pests (Sparks and Nauen, 2015), increasing restrictions of the use of broad-spectrum compounds (Donley, 2019), and growing consumer demand for produce free of synthetic pesticide residues (Rana and Paul, 2017). Due to their natural origin, biosafety characteristics and compatibility with organic agriculture, biological insecticides can provide unique tools for pest control that are well accepted by growers and consumers. This technology has the potential to be applied across a broad range of NPV-pest pathosystems
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