Production of the Granulosis Virus of Chilo infuscatellus
Chilo infuscatellus is a devastating pest of sugarcane. Management of the pest with insecticides has become extremely difficult and the search for alternatives has yielded a granulosis virus.
The virus is effective when applied at 1.5x1013 OB/ha repeatedly three or four times on early cane under field condition.
The granulosis virus is produced in vivo . The method employed in production is by oral feeding treatment.
Fresh bits of sugarcane shoots from field are used.
The cut splits are washed and placed on moist filter paper in 6.6x7.4 cm containers @ 3 bits per container.
A dose of 1x108OB/ml in 0.01% Teepol is prepared and larvae in 4th instar collected from field are treated by dipping the head into the suspension containing the virus in a watch glass.
The larvae @ 1-2/shoot bit are transferred to the container and the jar is closed. The feed is replaced with fresh ones every alternate day.
The larvae begin to die after 6 days and are collected in sterile containers and stored in a freezer.
The processing methods are similar to that of the nuclear polyhedrosis virus.
In differential centrifugation, the cadavers are centrifuged at 700rpm initially and at 8000 rpm for 30 min finally to collect the pellet.
