ABSTRACT
Environmental concerns associated with chemical pesticide usage are forcing the industry to search for less toxic pest management methods. Entomopathogenic nematodes in the genera, Steinernema and Heterorhabditis, and their associated bacteria Xenorhabdus spp. have received considerable attention recently as biological insecticides,1,2 particularly because of their ability to search for and kill their host rapidly, their wide host range, and their safety to mammals and plants and exemption from federal and state requirements in most countries.3 Recent developments in production through liquid fermentation and in formulation stability have led to the introduction of a number of products against insect pests in soil and cryptic environments4,5 (Table 1). Products commercially available in turf and ornamentals
Nematode Species
Product
Market Segment
Company
S. carpocapsaea
BioSafe®
Home lawn & garden
Ortho Monsanto, USA
Turf
SDS Biotech, Japan
Exhibit®
Turf & Ornamentals
Ciba-Geigy, USA
Ornamentals
Ciba-Geigy, (W. Europe)
Boden-Niitzlinge
Home lawn & garden
Celeflor, Germany
Sanoplant®
Home lawn & garden
Dr. R. Maag, Switzerland
S.feltiae
Nemasys
Ornamentals
Agricultural Genetics Co., UK
—
Ornamentals
biosys, USA
S. glaseri
Vector®-WG
Turf
biosys, USA
S. scapterisci
Proact
Turf
BioControl, USA
S. riobravis
Vector-MC
Turf
biosys, USA
H. bacteriophora
Otinem
Ornamentals
Ecogen, USA
H. megidis
Nemasys-H
Ornamentals
Agricultural Genetics Co., UK
Produced by biosys, Palo Alto, CA.
