Biological Control of Cabbage Butterfly (Pieris rapae Linn.) Using Nuclear Polyhedrosis Virus
Keywords:
Pieris rapae Linn, Biological control, Nuclear Polyhedrosis Virus (NPV), Integrated Pest Management (IPM), Carrier materials, Larval Infection, Larval MortalityAbstract
Pieris rapae Linnaeus, commonly known as cabbage white butterfly, is a serious pest of cruciferous crops around the world, particularly in high-altitude places including Benguet, Philippines, where infestation causes enormous economic losses. Traditional chemical pesticides pose environmental and health hazards, leading to the quest for long-term alternatives like Nucleopolyhedrosis Virus (NPV). This study evaluated the efficacy of NPV as a biological control agent against P. rapae, specifically on its performance alone and when combined with carrier materials at various time interval exposure. Results showed that all of the various treatments were effective, against cabbage butterfly larvae consistently resulting in 100 % infection, and severity of infection, with the NPV alone treatment being particularly impactful. Notably, second larval instar exhibited significantly higher susceptibility to NPV alone, causing 60% mortality at 48 hours post-infection (HPI), at 120 HPI, all treatments and larval stages achieved almost complete mortality of 95% to 100%. Optimal environmental conditions of 25 °C and 70% relative humidity accelerated infection causing mortality, especially in susceptible second larval instar. Among the carrier materials used, Oatmeal and Cornmeal had intermediate effects on NPV efficacy, whereas All-Purpose Flour produced the lowest impact. This was linked to their physical characteristics, which influence viral persistence, such as water-holding capacity. Over time, morphological changes in infected larvae progressed, including sluggishness, discoloration, paralysis, and liquefaction. Given its affordability, NPV alone proved to be the most economical option, amounting to PhP 343.50 per treatment. Carrier materials like Oatmeal shows potential for formulation stability, although, they were less practical which contributed to higher cost of the treatments. The study concludes that NPV alone and NPV with carrier materials as treatment is a promising and good biological control strategy for P. rapae, with optimal application targeting early instar under specific environmental conditions.
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