DESICCATION OF ENTOMOGENOUS NEMATODES FOR LONG-TERM MASS STORAGE

INFECTIVE JUVENILES (IJ'S) OF STEINERNEMATID NEMATODES IN THE GENUS NEOAPLECTANA ARE EFFECTIVE CONTROL AGENTS FOR A WIDE RANGE OF INSECT PESTS. MARKET REQUIREMENTS FOR THE YEAR 1987 DETERMINE A PRODUCTION GOAL OF 1011 NEMATODES PER WEEK, WITH 1988 REQUIREMENTS APPROXIMATING 1016 PER WEEK. PHASE I ADDRESSES THE PROBLEM OF STORAGE AND SHIPMENT OF S SUCH LARGE NUMBERS (=LARGE VOLUMES) OF NEMATODES. IJ'S ARE AQUATIC, REQURE OXYGEN AND SURVIVE AT THE EXPENSE OF STORED ENERGY. PRESENT STORAGE METHODS UTILIZING POLYURETHANE FOAM,ACTIVATED CHARCOAL OR OTHER NEMATODES SUBSTRATES REQUIRING LOW-TEMPERATURE STORAGE. SUCH METHODS DO NOT ALLOW FOR LONG -TERM STORAGE AND ARE PRACTICALLY DESICCATION OF ENTOMO GENOUS NEMATODES FOR LONG-TERM MASS STORAGE-TECHNICAL AB ABSTRACT AND ECONOMICALLY INDADEQUATE. THE OVERALL PHASE I OBJECTIVE IS TO DEVISE AND EVALUATE A RESEARCH SCALE TECHNI NIQUE FOR THE LONG-TERM STORAGE OF DESICCATED IJ'S. THE RESEARCH EFFORT WILL DETERMINE: THE BEST DESICCATION AND REHYDRATION REGIMES; THE LARGEST VOLUME OF NEMATODES THAT CAN BE EFFECTIVELY DESICCATED AS A SINGLE UNIT; SURVIVAL AND PATHOGENICITY OF DESICCATED IJ'S VERSUS STORAGETIME; OXYGEN REQUIREMENTS OF DESICCATED IJ,S; THE RESISTANCE OF DESICCATED IJ,S TO ENVIRONMENTAL EXTREMES.