Entomopathogenic baculovirus biopesticides by using insect cell cultures and their potential evaluation to control cotton bollworms

Baculoviruses are a diverse group of insect-specific viruses and multiplication of these entomopathogenic virus offers advantages yield process. These viruses don’t harm the non-target organisms and therefore, considered among the best biological tools of pest management. The outcomes of the current study include a laboratory to multiply these virses. The healthy larvae of armyworm and American bollworm was collected from the field and started to rear. The microbial control through NPV and Spinosad is an effective approach against ABW. The repeated use of synthetic pesticides against major pests could be the main reason of pest resurgence, and this study results would provide useful insight to build a framework for future investigations for the control of insect pests of major crops. Similarly, the results exhibited dose and stage dependent mean mortality of target pest. The native isolate V-SpltNPV showed 88.08%
mean mortality of 2nd instar S. litura in laboratory. V-SpltNPV is also compatible with spinosad causing 92.98% mortality of 3rd instar S. litura in semi-natural conditions. Overall, the integration of NPV with low risk insecticides can be very effective for the management of insect pests of economic importance. Conclusively native isolate V-SpltNPV have the ability to manage the S.
litura population presented in agricultural fields of Pakistan. The V-SpltNPV can be used in integrated manner with other integrated pest management. Therefore, it is the time to use baculoviruses to manage insect pests in agricultural fields of Pakistan, to reduce the use of synthetic toxic chemicals, especially in cotton growing regions, where more than 80% of total imported pesticides are being used to manage pests. The isolated strain of NPV (V-SpltNPV) can be effectively used to manage S. litura population. Furthermore, the combined efficacy can be
enhanced by evaluating their pathogenicity with new chemistry insecticides without causing damage to non-target organisms. More importantly one Ph.D. and one M.Sc. students completed their degrees while working in this project. In addition to that, 4 publication (three impact factor and one y category) has been produced up till now from the studies conducted in this project. Further, one publication is ready to be submitted in an impact factor journal. Furthermore, the
laboratory is there to facilitate the other students to conduct research and produce better outcome in the filed of microbial control. Overall, the native NPV isolates have the ability to manage target pests if they can be used successfully in an integrated manner.