EFFICACY OF BIOCANE~(TM) AGAINST SOUTHERN ONE-YEAR CANEGRUB, ANTITROGUS CONSANGUINEUS

摘要

BIOCANE , which contains isolate FI-1045 (CSIRO Insect Pathogen Culture Collection) of the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae, is registered for use against greyback canegrub Dermolepida albohirtum (Waterhouse). FI-1045 was isolated from agreyback canegrub in 1994. Bioassays of FI-1045 in peat showed that it was equally pathogenic against southern one-year canegrub, Antitrogus consanguineus (Blackburn). Passaging of the fungal culture a single time through either greyback canegrub or southern one-year canegrub did not affect its virulence to those species significantly. Efficacy of BioCane~(TM) against southern one-year canegrub was demonstrated in field trials for at least 2 years after application to soil at 5 g/m of cane row, the application rate currently registered for its use against greyback canegrub. Spore levels higher than in untreated plots were maintained for at least 3 years. Results~(TM) demonstrate that BioCane could be used for control of southern one-year canegrub at the same application rate as used for greyback canegrub, and could probably be registered and marketed for that purpose if there were sufficient demand from growers.