AN ENTOMOGENOUS NEMATODE STEINERNEMA-CARPOCAPSAE IS COMPATIBLE WITH POTTING MEDIA ENVIRONMENTS CREATED BY HORTICULTURAL PRACTICES

Three experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of different potting media and horticultural practices on the infectivity of Steinernema carpocapsae (Weiser). Bioassays were conducted with S. carpocapsae added to potting media containing Galleria mellonella (L.) larvae. Potting media tested were aged pine bark, new pine bark, peat moss, aged cow manure, and a peat/vermiculite soilless medium (Pro-Gro 200). The horticultural practices tested were potting media pH level, fertilization, salt level, and application of plant growth regulators. The plant growth regulators ancymidol, paclobutrazol, chlormequat, and daminozide were each applied as a medium drench. The LC50S of the nematodes against G. mellonella, in potting media with different horticultural practices, were all between 0.50 and 2.06 with no significant difference in infectivity. Nematodes could be used for insect control with no negative effects under these growing conditions.