Abstract
Fourteen pesticides (fungicides, herbicides, and insecticides) were tested to determine whether they had deleterious effects on the bioinsecticide Bacillus popilliae, the causal agent of milky disease. All of these pesticides reduced levels of spore viability, spore germination, and/or vegetative cell growth when they were tested over a range of concentrations from 0 to 1,000 ppm of active ingredient, and the fungicides had the greatest detrimental effects. As determined by tests in water, the level of spore viability was significantly reduced by chlorothalonil, iprodione, (2,4-dichlorophenoxy)acetic acid plus 2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)propionic acid, and 2-[(4-chloro-o-tolyl)oxy]propionic acid plus (2,4-dichlorophenoxy)acetic acid. In tests performed with iprodione, loss of viability was evident at concentrations less than the concentration calculated to result from recommended use. Tests performed in soil demonstrated that triadimefon, chlorothalonil, (2,4-dichlorophenoxy)acetic acid plus 2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)propionic acid, and pendimethalin at concentrations resulting from recommended rates of application reduced spore titers. Spore germination did not occur in the continued presence of 2-[(4-chloro-otolyl)oxy]propionic acid plus (2,4-dichlorophenoxy)acetic acid, isofenphos, and chlordane, whereas exposure of spores to triadimefon or pendimethalin for 2 days stimulated germination. The tests to determine effects on spore germination were inconclusive for all other pesticides. Triadimefon, chlorothalonil, iprodione, pendimethalin, and chlorpyrifos at concentrations less than the concentrations recommended for use inhibited vegetative cell growth of B. popilliae, and chlordane at a concentration that was twice the concentration expected to result from the recommended rate of application repressed cell growth. My data support the hypothesis that use of synthetic pesticides can contribute to a low incidence of milky disease in white grubs.
Full text
PDF
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Dingman D. W., Stahly D. P. Medium Promoting Sporulation of Bacillus larvae and Metabolism of Medium Components. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1983 Oct;46(4):860–869. doi: 10.1128/aem.46.4.860-869.1983. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- PEPPER R. E., COSTILOW R. N. ELECTRON TRANSPORT IN BACILLUS POPILLIAE. J Bacteriol. 1965 Feb;89:271–276. doi: 10.1128/jb.89.2.271-276.1965. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Splittstoesser D. F., Farkas D. F. Effect of cations on activation of Bacillus popilliae spores. J Bacteriol. 1966 Oct;92(4):995–1001. doi: 10.1128/jb.92.4.995-1001.1966. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Stahly D. P., Takefman D. M., Livasy C. A., Dingman D. W. Selective Medium for Quantitation of Bacillus popilliae in Soil and in Commercial Spore Powders. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1992 Feb;58(2):740–743. doi: 10.1128/aem.58.2.740-743.1992. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]