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SCOPE OF COMMERCIAL FORMULATIONS OF BACILLUS THURINGIENSIS BERLINER AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO METHYL BROMIDE AGAINST TROGODERMA GRANARIUM EVERTS LARVAE

MUHAMMAD SHOAIB AHMEDANI¹ ABDUL KHALIQ¹ AND M.I. HAQUE^*2

Abstract: Phasing out of ozone depleting pesticides like Methyl bromide has opened a new window for searching alternative pesticides to control insect and other pests of agriculture storage sector. Besides, concern has also been expressed by small farmers of the developing world that conventional chemical insecticides may occasionally result in poisoning of humans and livestock. Fortunately, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) has expressed very low mammalian toxicity and is considered as a valuable safe insecticide option for farmers. Different strains of B. thuringiensis have been shown to produce a number of insect toxins, which have shown effectiveness against different insect species belonging to the orders Lepidoptera, Diptera and Coleoptera. Due to the high activity, specificity to target pest species, and non-toxicity to human, strains of Bt form the basis for a number of commercial products to be used as  pest control agents. The present investigations focus on use of commercial formulations of Bacillus thuringiensis as an alternative to methyl bromide for combating T. granarium infestation in stored wheat. The results have revealed that liquid formulations yielded better results as compared to the dry formulations. Maximum mortality of the larvae was observed in Ecotech Pro treated grains followed by Dipel ES, whereas, Bactospeine had not provided promising results. Inferences were therefore drawn that insect mortality depended upon ingestion of the Bt spores and toxins. It was also concluded that liquid formulations not only enhanced the moisture contents but also made the grain more palatable for T. granarium larvae resulting in more mortality as compared to the dry formulations.

¹Department of Entomology, University of Arid Agriculture, Rawalpindi, Pakistan

²Department of Plant Pathology, University of Arid Agriculture, Rawalpindi, Pakistan.