Abstract
The effects of environmental factors on the persistence of formulations of Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner were investigated in a greenhouse study. The persistence of Dipel™, a conventional formulation of B. thuringiensis, was compared with that of MVP™, a commercial formulation consisting of Pseudomonas fluorescens Migula genetically engineered to express a δ-endotoxin gene of B. thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki. Sprayed foliage bioassayed with third instars of Pseudoplusia includens (Walker) indicated that overall persistence of Dipel™ was significantly better (P < 0.05) than that of MVP™, though the 2.5% difference probably was not meaningful from a practical standpoint. The two formulations had significantly (P < 0.05) better persistence on cotton than on soybean or tomato, though there was still > 25% bioassay mortality on all three plant species after 14 d. Sunlight and a combination of precipitation and ultraviolet light were most detrimental to the B. thuringiensis formulations, followed by precipitation only and ultraviolet light only. The formulations were most stable in the dark with no precipitation.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
