Abstract
The present study was carried out to evaluate the response of gamma irradiation on Sitotroga cerealella and Trichogramma chilnois under laboratory conditions. Two different egg stages of S. cerealella, aged 12 and 24 hours, were exposed to four levels of gamma radiation (35, 55, 75 and 95 Gy) and control (no dose). The result indicates that low irradiation doses egg viability compared to higher doses. Exposure to 35 Gy resulted in the hatching rate (55.3%) and prolonged incubation period (7.06 days) for S. cerealella eggs. In T. chilonis, parasitism percentage was significantly higher at 86%, with maximum adult emergence at 87.3% and adult longevity of 7.13 days; however, these values remain lower than those observed in the untreated (control), where maximum parasitism, adult emergence and longevity were observed. The treatment with 95 Gy resulted in the lowest values for incubation, adult emergence, parasitism, and adult longevity. Irradiation of pupae also yielded significantly higher adult emergence (86.66%) and longevity 7.46 days at 5 Gy, pupae irradiated at 20 Gy resulted in significantly lower adult emergence and adult longevity. Based on these findings, lower irradiation doses are recommended to increase shelf life of S. cerealella and T. chilonis without causing significant detrimental effects on the quality of parasitoid and its host. The approach ensures the year around availability of parasitoids in insectaries for research and field releases.
Published Version
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