Drug – bio-affecting and body treating compositions – Whole live micro-organism – cell – or virus containing
Patent
1994-03-08
1996-06-18
Naff, David M.
Drug, bio-affecting and body treating compositions
Whole live micro-organism, cell, or virus containing
424 934, 424405, 4352402, 4352521, 435822, C12N 500, A01N 2500
Patent
active
055275257
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to the control of agricultural and horticultural pests and more particularly to the control of molluscs, including slugs, e.g. Deroceras reticulatum and snails, e.g. Monacha cantiana. For convenience, the invention will be described mainly in relation to slug control but it is to be understood that it is also applicable to the control of other molluscs that are harmful to plants in the field or greenhouse, or which carry parasites harmful to humans or animals.
Slugs are a widespread pest of several major agricultural crops, particularly winter wheat, oilseed rape and potatoes in the UK, other European countries, north and central America and Australasia. They are also a problem in horticulture and to the domestic gardener. The most economically important slug species is the grey field slug, Deroceras reticulatum (family: Limacidae), although other limacid slugs and Arion (family: Arionidae), Tandonia, Milax (family: Milacidae) and Boettgerilla species also can cause significant damage. Snails also can be a pest problem in horticulture and agriculture, one example being Monacha cantiana (family: Helicidae). Examples of mollusc pests are listed by Godan in "Pest Slugs and Snails" (1983, Springer-Verlag, Berlin). Molluscs may also carry pests which represent a hazard to human or animal health. Examples include Lymnaea species (family: Lymnaeidae), which carry the liver fluke Fasciola hepatica, and Bulinus species (family: Bulinidae) which carry Opisthorcis sinensis. The families Limacidae, Arionidae, Milacidae and Helicidae are members of the Order Stylommatophora. The families Bulinidae and Lymnaeidae are members of the Order Basommatophora.
Current methods of control are only partially effective and the available chemicals are highly toxic to birds and mammals. Hence there is a clear need for more effective, more persistent and less toxic methods of mollusc control.
It has now been discovered that nematodes of the genus Phasmarhabditis are effective control agents for a wide range of mollusc species. Particularly effective Phasmarhabditis species are the related organisms P. neopapillosa and P. hermaphrodita which will be described further hereinafter. These species have been known for many years and are described in the literature, having been characterised especially by Andrassy in "A Taxonomic Review of the Sub-Order Rhabditina (Nematoda: Secernentina)" (1983, Orstom, Paris). However, the biological activity of these organisms against slugs and other mollusc pests has not hitherto been recognised.
The present invention therefore comprises the use of Phasmarhabditis species for the control of agricultural and horticultural pests or human and animal health pests, especially molluscs. The organisms can be obtained from slugs in the field and cultured by methods described hereinafter to produce amounts sufficient for formulation into suitable compositions for application in the field or greenhouse. Typical compositions for practical use utilise acceptable carrier materials such as peat, clays, and other solids or semi-solid carriers such as gel materials. Outdoor microplot and field trials have shown that the nematode can both kill slugs and protect Chinese cabbage seedlings and wheat seeds or seedlings from slug damage at least as well as, or better than, methiocarb, the best chemical currently available.
BIOLOGY OF THE ORGANISM
The nematode was isolated from slugs collected at Long Ashton Research Station in Great Britain. The nematode was found to be associated with a fatal disease in slugs with characteristic symptoms, most noticeably a swelling of the slug's mantle. The nematode was identified as belonging to the Sub-Order Rhabditina and further identified using a key (Andrassy, 1983). The main taxonomic characteristics of this group are the mouthparts and the male reproductive structures. The nematodes isolated at Long Ashton had a distinctive, short stoma with an isomorphic metastom, and males, when present, had peloderan bursas, fitting the, genus Phasmarhabdifis. Andrassy (
REFERENCES:
Japanese Abstract (JP 63313580), "Formate Dehydrogenase--prod. by new Moraxella phenylpyruvica", 1987, see abst.
Godan, D., "Pest Slugs and Snails: Biology and Control", Springer-Verlag, Berlin Heidelberg New York, 1983.
Andrassy, I., "Taxonomic Review of the Sub-Order Rhabditina (Nematoda: Secernentia)", 1983, Orston, Paris, pp. 84-117.
Glen, D. M., & C. W. Wiltshire, "Estimating Slug Populations From Bait-Trap Catches", 1986 British Crop Protection Conference--Pests and Diseases, pp. 1151-1158.
Bedding, R. A., "Large scale production, storage and transport of the insect-parasitic nematodes Neoaplectana spp. and Heterorhabditis spp.", Ann. Appl. Biol., 104, 1984, pp. 117-120.
Bedding, R. A., "Low Cost In Vitro Mass Production of Neoaplectana and Heterorhabditis Species (Nematoda) for Field Control of Insect Pests," Nematologica, 27, 1981, pp. 109-114.
Poinar, Jr., G. O. & E. L. Hansen, "Associations between Nematodes and Bacteria," Helminthological Abstracts (Series B), vol. 55, No. 3, Sep. 1986, pp. 61-81.
"Morphology and Biology of Bostryx Consperus (Sowerby) (Mollusca, Bulimulidae) in the Central Costal Slopes of Peru", R. Ramirez, Revista Brasileira de Zoologia, vol. 5, No. 4, 1988, pp. 609-617.
"Nematoden und Schnecken", H. Mengert, Zeitschrift fur Morphologie und Okologie der Tiere, vol. 41, 1953, pp. 311-349.
"Nematodes-Bacteries, une Association Efficace Dans La Lutte Contre Les Insectes", C. Douenel, Biofutur, No. 64, Jan. 1988, pp. 39-42.
Glen David M.
Pearce Jeremy D.
Wilson Michael J.
Agricultural Genetics Company Limited
Naff David M.
Ware Deborah K.
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