Effect of temperature and soil moisture on the efficacy of indigenous and imported strains of the entomopathogenic nematode, Heterorhabditis sp. against the black cutworm, Agrotis ipsilon (Hufnagel) (Lepidoptera/Noctuidae)

Egyptian Journal of Biological Pest Control

Table 2 Mortality percentages of Agrotis ipsilon (4th and 6th larval instars and 3-day-old pupae) at different concentrations of Heterorhabditis strains TAN5 and Hb₈₈ with three different water content in the soil 10%, 15%, and 25% at temperature 25 ± 2°C

Con IJs/cm² of soil surface	% Mortality of Agrotis ipsilon
	Heterorhabditis strains TAN5			Heterorhabditis strains Hb₈₈
	4th instar larvae	6th instar larvae	3-day-old pupae	4th instar larvae	6th instar larvae	3-day-old pupae
Soil moisture content 10%
30	8	6	0	6	2	0
60	22	16	6	20	10	6
120	36	26	18	32	22	12
240	50	38	20	46	32	18
480	64	48	26	58	44	20
Average	36	26	14	32.4	22	11.2
F-value*	2.0687			2.1778
Soil moisture content 15%
30	14	10	6	12	8	6
60	30	28	24	32	28	22
120	52	50	42	50	46	40
240	70	68	60	70	66	56
480	90	88	78	90	80	74
Average	51.2	48.8	42	50.8	45.6	39.6
F-value*	0.1268			0.1888
Soil moisture content 25%
30	20	16	14	18	14	12
60	42	38	32	36	34	28
120	60	56	50	58	52	46
240	78	74	68	80	74	62
480	100	94	86	100	94	80
Average	60	55.6	50	58.4	53.6	45.6
F-value*	0.1398			0.2235

*Statistical analysis confirmed that the mortality rate between 4th, 6th larval instars and pupae for each of the treated EPN was non-significant