IPM strategy for control of the Western Corn

Rootworm Diabrotica virgifera virgifera with

dianem® (Heterorhabditis bacteriophora)

Ralf-Udo Ehlers

ehlers@e-nema.de

UOV

A

OctoberSeptemberAugustJulyJuneMayAprilMarchFebruary

Adults

Larvae

Pupae

Eggs

Control

Life Cycle Dvv

Costs for crop rotation: 150-650 €/ha (Kehlenbeck, 2014)

Damage to the roots

www.e-nema.de oder https://www.youtube.com oder www.dianem.at

Damage

Steiermark 2014

Despite the use of chemical control measures (neonicotinoides, tefluthrin,

cypermethrin), severe damage is reported from Styria, Austria. Without crop

rotation huge populations build up, which can hardly be controled anymore.

Even with crop rotation, control measures are needed to keep populations

below the damage threshold.

Chemical Control

3 x Leaf Treatment (Neonics)against adults

reduction of egg laying

Seed Treatment (Neonics)Cruiser, Poncho against larvae

Reduction of root damage

Pyrethroid GranulesTefluthrin, Cypermethrin

Vaporising in soil

GMO-MaizeBT-gene Cry III and 4 other stakes

Maize plant 2 m high, high

application costs

Serious impacts on bees

Baned, review Jan 2017

High environmental toxicity

(earthworms) and irritating

for users

Low tox, resistance already

reported from USA

Biological control with dianem®

The product dianem® contains:

Nematodes Symbiotic bacteria

Heterorhabditis

bacteriophora

Photorhabdus

luminescens

The Dauer Juvenile

• Dauer Juveniles (DJ): enduring stage, ca. 0.6 mm

• Live from fat reserves

• Transport symbiotic bacteria in intestine

Symbiotic bacteria

Dauer Juveniles GMP-labeled bacteria

Life cycle

Bacteria proliferate

and kill host within

2 days

DJ infest host and

release bacteria

Host consumed

DJs develop,

which seek for

new hosts

Nematodes feed

on bacteria and

reproduce

www.e-nema.de oder https://www.youtube.com oder www.dianem.at

Production EPN in sterile liquid culture

of 1.000 - 65.000 ltr. scale

Biotechnical production

• Field trials since 2004 in A, HU, D and I

• Certified partners (CABI, AGES, Agricola, Sagea, LTZ)

• Always compared to chemical products

• In HU and A trials with artificial infestation of plants

(100-300 eggs/plant) on rotated fields

• We assessed control of adults, ag chems provide root

damage, but chemicals promote growth of roots

R&D e-nema

63 59

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

April Juni

CABI HU 2006

82 88

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

April Juni

Control in %

Reduction adults/plant

When to apply?

Control in %

Reduction adults/plant

CABI HU 2007

Investigations on nematodes persistence indicate that

nematodes survive at high enough numbers for 4-6 weeks

to control pest larvae at emergence in May/June.

UOV

A

OctoberSeptemberAugustJulyJuneMayAprilMarchFebruary

Adults

Larvae

Pupae

Eggs

Control

Life Cycle Dvv

Costs for crop rotation: 150-650 €/ha (Kehlenbeck, 2014)

Apply Dianem® with seed drilling machine

See: www.dianem.at or www.dianem.de

Liquid application:

2x109 DJ ha-1

in 200 ltr. water

Dose-mortality, CABI 2012 + 2014

CABI, HU (Mako, 2012) (dianem® - Heterorhabditis bact. 1, 2 und 3 x 109/ha, Tefluthrin 13,3 kg/ha, Clothianidin-Saatgutbeize )

2012: Control adults/plant (%)

0

20

40

60

80

100

Dia

ne

m1

Dia

ne

m2

Dia

ne

m3

Fo

rce

Po

nch

o

28,5

5871 71

58

2014: Control adults/plant (%)

20

40

60

80

100

Dia

nem

1

Dia

nem

2

Dia

nem

3

Dia

nem

5

Cyp

erm

Te

flu

th

23

79

45

86

0

89

Number of adults/plant

Dose-mortality, AGES 2013

Numbers on bars: Control adults/plant (%)

0

20

40

60

80

100

2009AGES

2010CABI

2010CABI

2011AGES

2012CABI

2012CABI

2013AGES

2013AGES

2013AGES

2013CABI

2014CABI

2014CABI

Dianem® better, same or worse than chemical

Control (%) reduction of adult population100-300 eggs/plant, 2 x 109 DJ/ha

Tillage

Variety

Biological

Control

Strategy without chemicals

Rotation

Fertilisation

A. Jost, Jost Agrarhandel

Severe difference in lodging of

different varieties

A. Jost, Jost Agrarhandel

Variety

Damage on corn cob

Early flowering before

maximum flight of

adults will limit

damage by adults.

A. Jost, Jost Agrarhandel

Rotation

Some crops attract Dvv

and eggs are laid.

Current strategy: Crop

other then maize every

three years.

Control necessary

Oil Pumkin in Syria, Austria 2014

A. Jost, Jost Agrarhandel

Summary

Dianem® is an effective and environmentally safe control measure

Provides sustainable control of Dvv

Subsequent use reduces population density

Easy to apply

More than 40 field trials with natural population support findings

Research (EU project Biocomes) provides strains with higher virulence

In future potential for dose reduction to better compete with chemicals

Belem: 50 €/ha

Sales DE: none (60ha), A: 25 ha, CZ, I: none

Thanks to:

ehlers@e-nema.de

www.dianem.at

www.e-nema.de

Stefan Toepfer; CABI, HU

Gieselher Grabenweger, Andreas Kahrer, AGES, A

Peter Knuth, LTZ, DE

Karl Müller-Sämann, Jürgen Maier, cult-tec, DE

August Jost, Hermann Strasser und Hannes Rauch, A

Kurt Foltin, A

Urs Wyss, DE

Michael Lichtenberg, DE

Large scale trials with natural infestation

in Styria since 2013

• Registration in A since 2013

• But AGES provides Art. 53

authorisation for Cypermethrin

Large cagesSmall cages EU

Project Inbiosoil

Evaluation with natural infestation

Number of adults on

sticky trap until end of

blossom

Evaluation of lodging in

July

Evaluation of leaf damage

Field trial 2014 in Lichendorf, Styria

440

460

480

500

520

540

560

Cyperm. Dianem A Dianem B Kontrolle

Lichendorf 1, Sorte: Maisadour RZ 340

Number of adults/trap (mean of 3 traps in 3 weeks)

Field trials 2015 in Unterschwarza, Styria

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

Cyperm. Dianem 1 Kontrolle 1 Kontrolle 2

Number of adults/trap (mean of 9 traps)

Helicopter fotos, 2014Field in Unterschwarza

ControlNematodes