title: Efficacy of an alphabaculovirus-based biological insecticide for control of Chrysodeixis chalcites (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) on tomato and banana crops.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chrysodeixis chalcites (Esper) is a major pest of tomato in Mediterranean countries and attacks banana in the Canary Islands (Spain). The efficacy of Chrysodeixis chalcites single nucleopolyhedrovirus (ChchSNPV-TF1) was evaluated in plant growth chambers and greenhouse trials performed on tomato and banana plants respectively. Treatments were applied using a compressed air sprayer.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean (± SE) lethal infection varied from 77 ± 10% to 94 ± 3% in second-instar larvae fed for 2 days on tomato plants treated with 2 × 10(6) to 5 × 10(7) virus occlusion bodies (OBs) L(-1) , increasing to ∼100% infection after 7 days. Mortality of larvae collected from banana at different intervals post-application varied from 54 ± 10% to 96 ± 4% in treatments involving 1 × 10(8) -1 × 10(9) OBs L(-1) , whereas indoxacarb (Steward 30% WG) and Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki (Biobit 16% WP) treatments produced between 22 ± 6% and 32 ± 5% pest mortality. All treatments significantly reduced plant defoliation compared with untreated controls. Application of 1 × 10(9) OBs L(-1) was 3-4-fold more effective than chemical or B. thuringiensis treatments. Larvae acquired lethal infection more rapidly when feeding on tomato than banana plants, but this difference disappeared following >60 min of feeding.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This information should prove useful in the registration of ChchSNPV-TF1 as a bioinsecticide in the Canary Islands and Europe.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Agrobiotecnología, CSIC-Gobierno de Navarra, Mutilva Baja, Spain.
authors.forename: Oihane
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Simón
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Agrobiotecnología, CSIC-Gobierno de Navarra, Mutilva Baja, Spain.
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bernal
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Ecología AC, Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico.
authors.forename: Trevor
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.affiliation: Instituto Canario de Investigaciones Agrarias, San Cristóbal de la Laguna, Spain.
authors.forename: Aurelio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carnero
authors.affiliation: Instituto Canario de Investigaciones Agrarias, San Cristóbal de la Laguna, Spain.
authors.forename: Estrella
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hernández-Suárez
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Producción Agraria, Universidad Pública de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.
authors.forename: Delia
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Muñoz
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Agrobiotecnología, CSIC-Gobierno de Navarra, Mutilva Baja, Spain.|Departamento de Producción Agraria, Universidad Pública de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.
authors.forename: Primitivo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Caballero
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001413:Bacillus thuringiensis / Q000502:physiology; D007306:Insecticides; D007814:Larva / Q000254:growth & development / Q000821:virology; D018551:Solanum lycopersicum; D009036:Moths / Q000254:growth & development / Q000821:virology*; D028521:Musa; D017924:Nucleopolyhedroviruses; D010078:Oxazines; D010572:Pest Control, Biological / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D007306:Insecticides; D010078:Oxazines; C401104:indoxacarb
keywords: ChchSNPV; application rates; greenhouse trials; tomato looper