Laboratory Evaluation of Indigenous and Commercial Entomopathogenic Nematodes against Red Palm Weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae).

ABSTRACT: The red palm weevil (RPW) is a significant threat to date palms. Conventional pest control has been ineffective. This study aims to evaluate entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) indigenous to Saudi Arabia and commercial against RPW. We used 33 soil samples collected from four areas of Saudi Arabia. The indigenous EPNs were isolated and cultured using an insect baiting method to obtain infective juveniles. Pathogenicity bioassays were conducted against different stages of RPW, including eggs, larvae, and adults. The bioassay was performed using all the isolates at 1 × 10⁶ IJ/mL. Distilled water was used as a control. The results revealed that only 9.09% of soil samples contained positive EPNs. Through DNA sequencing analysis, the positive samples were identified as indigenous isolat

SUBMITTER: Husain M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11050374 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature