• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.26 no.4
• /
• pp.369-372
• /
• 1998

Microbial insecticide formulations were prepared by liquid and semi-solid fermentations using Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki, HL-106 (BTK-HL106), B. thuringiensis subsp. israelensis HL-63 (BTI-HL63) and B. sphaericus 1593 (BS-1593) strains. The liquid fermentation medium contained molasses 2%, dextrose 1.5%, peptone 2%, D-xylose 0.025%, CaCl$_2$ 0.1%, K$_2$HPO$_4$ 0.1%, KH$_2$PO$_4$ 0.1%, MgSO$_4$$.$7H$_2$O 0.03%, FeSO$_4$$.$7H$_2$O 0.002%, ZnSO$_4$$.$7H$_2$O 0.02%. The composition of the semi-solid fermentation medium was rice bran 45.2%, zeolite 31%, yeast powder 0.02%, corn powder 5%, dextrose 3%, lime 0.3%, NaCl 0.06%, CaCl$_2$ 0.02%, and H$_2$O 15.42%. Insecticide formulations produced in the liquid fermentation named BTK-HL106, BTI-HL63 and BS-1593 pesticides and those in the semi-solid fermentation were designated as BTK-HL106-1, BTI-HL63-1 and BS-1593-1 pesticides, respectively. The number of spore (endotoxin crystals) was 2.65${\times}$10$\^$9/ spores per $m\ell$ in the BTK-HL106 and 3.5${\times}$10$\^$10/ in the BTK-HL106-1 3.8${\times}$10$\^$9/ spores in the BTI-HL63 and 7.0${\times}$10$\^$10/ in the BTI-HL63-1, and 7.5${\times}$10$\^$9/ in the BS-1593 and 1.4${\times}$10$\^$10/ in the BS-1593-1. The spores in the BS-1593 formulation was produced two times more than the other formulations. The spores in the BTI-HL63-1 were contained twice than those in the BTK-HL106-1, and five times than those in the BS-1593-1. The results indicated that spore (endotoxin crystals) productions in the semi-solid fermentation increased about ten times than those in the liquid fermentations. $LC_{50}$s of the BTI-HL63 and BS-1593 were 4.5 $\mu\textrm{g}$, and those of the BTI-HL63-1 and BS-1593-1 were 1.5 $\mu\textrm{g}$. $LC_{50}$ of the BTK-HL106 was 1.5 mg and that of the BTK-HL106-1 was 0.9 mg. The $LC_{50}$s of the formulations in the semi-solid fermentations showed about two to three times higher than those in the liquid fermentations.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.17 no.10
• /
• pp.1700-1703
• /
• 2007

Microorganisms capable of degrading crude oil were isolated and grown in soybean oil as a sole carbon source. The microbial cultures were used to control green peach aphids in vitro. Approximately 60% mortality of aphids was observed when the cultures were applied alone onto aphids. To examine the cultures as a pesticide formulation mixture, the cultures were combined with a low dose of the insecticide imidacloprid (one-fourth dose of recommended field-application rate) and applied onto aphids. The cultures enhanced significantly the insecticidal effectiveness of imidacloprid, which was higher than imidacloprid alone applied at the low dose. The isolated microorganisms exhibited high emulsifying index values and decreased surface tension values after being grown in soybean oil media. GC/MS analyses showed that microorganisms degraded soybean oil to fatty acids. The cultures were suggested to play the roles of wetting, spreading, and sticking agents to improve the effectiveness of imidacloprid. This is the first report on the control of aphids by using oil-degrading microbial cultures.

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 2000.11a
• /
• pp.233-236
• /
• 2000

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is the most widely used microbial insecticide in the biological control market. Cultivation of the microorganism to high cell densities offers potential for enhancing the rate of formation as well as the concentration of the desired products In the fermentation broths in bioreactor. With this objective, we developed the new bioreactor incorporating ceramic membrane module for the retention of cell mass. Cell yield and spore formation of Bacillus thuringiensis was improved markedly by adopting this new bioreactor based on glucose -limited feeding operation. It was possible to grow the cell and the heat-resistant spore to above $1.2\;{\times}\;10^{10}\;CFU/ml$ density. With glucose-limited operation, we studied the growth behavior of Bacillus thuringiensis during the cell retention culture. Linear growth of Bacillus thuringiensis was observed under glucose-limited culture, which matched well with simple mathematical model of cell retention culture.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
• /
• v.42 no.4
• /
• pp.346-352
• /
• 2023

Cadusafos, an organophosphorus insecticide, has been commonly used against various pests worldwide. Organophosphorus pesticides have shorter half-lives and lower toxicities than organochlorine pesticides. However, excessive use of Cadusafos can increase pest resistance and issues with acetylcholine biomagnification, potentially resulting in human toxicity. In this study, we investigated the effect of a Cadusafos-degrading microbial agent (CDMA) prepared using Sphingobium sp. Cam5-1, which was previously reported to effectively degrade residual Cadusafos in soil. Experiments were conducted under both controlled laboratory and greenhouse field conditions. Under laboratory conditions, CDMA (10⁶ cfu/g soil application rate) decomposed 97% of Cadusafos in the soil in the untreated control after 21 days. Additionally, when CDMA (10⁶ cfu/g soil) was mixed with quicklime, 99% of Cadusafos was decomposed within 3 days. Under greenhouse field conditions, the combined effect of CDMA (10⁶ cfu/g soil) and quicklime was not observed. However, CDMA (10⁶ cfu/g soil) application alone was capable of decomposing 91% of Cadusafos after 3 days. These results indicate that CDMA can effectively decompose high residual levels of Cadusafos in soils under field conditions using a low inoculum rate.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
• /
• v.17 no.3
• /
• pp.299-306
• /
• 1984

The influences of applications of organochlorine insecticide (HCH: Hexachlorocyclohexane, 10 ppm), fungicide (TPN: Tetrachloroisophthalonitrile, 40 ppm) and manure ($3Kg/m^2$) each or together on changes in soil microflora for consecutive years were investigated in the experimental field plots. The insecticide had a little effect on soil microbial numbers. In particular, the number of total bacteria, Gram-negative bacteria and fungi were gradually increased at the latter stage of the consecutive application, but the number of sporeforming bacteria reduced. The fungicide reduced the counts of sporeforming bacteria, actinomycetes and fungi respectively, whereas increased prominently the counts of total bacteria and Gram-negative bacteria. TPN-resistant bacteria, particulary TPN-resistant Gram-negative bacteria were gradually accumulated by the long-term application of TPN, and further the number of TPN-resistant total bacteria and the of TPN-resistant Gram-negative bacteria correlated fairly well during all the period. The influences of combined applications of both HCH and TPN on the number of soil microorganisms were equal to the respective sums of the effects of single application of each pesticide. The combined application of manure and these pesticides elevated the increasing extents of microbial numbers, while weakened the detrimental efforts of these pesticides on microbial numbers. These data suggest that the long-term application of these materials have resulted in the remarkable changes of composition of soil microflora.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
• /
• v.52 no.2
• /
• pp.115-123
• /
• 2013

A microbial insecticide "Bt-Plus" has been developed to enhance an insecticidal efficacy of an entomopathogenic bacterium, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). However, its wettable powder formulation is not preferred by farmers and industry producers due to relatively high cost. This study aimed to develop a soluble concentrate formulation of Bt-Plus. To this end, an optimal mixture ratio of two bacterial culture broths was determined to be 5:4 (v/v) of Bt and Xenorhabdus nematophila (Xn) along with 10% ethanol preservative. In addition, Bt broth was concentrated by 10 times to apply the mixture at 1,000 times fold dilution. The resulting liquid formulation was sprayed on cabbage crop field infested by late instar larvae of the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella. The field assay showed about 77% control efficacy at 7 days after treatment, which was comparable to those of current commercial biopesticides targeting P. xylostella. For storage test in both low and room temperatures, the liquid formation showed a relatively stable control efficacy at least for a month. To develop a quality control technique to exhibit a stable control efficacy of Bt-Plus, Bt spore density ($5{\times}10^{11}$ spores/mL) and eight active component concentrations of Xn bacterial metabolites in the formulation products have been proposed in this study.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
• /
• v.16 no.4
• /
• pp.387-390
• /
• 2012

Beet armyworm (Spodoptera exigua), diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella) and tobacco cutworm (S. litura) are insect pests causing damage in many economically important vegetables in Korea. Bacillus thuringiensis, commonly known as Bt, has been available as an alternative insecticide for many years. Five commercial Bt products and the mixtures evaluate the control efficacy against three kinds of moths. These commercial Bt products had high control efficacy against $2^{nd}$ instar of diamondback moth, but didn't show high mortality against beet armyworm and tobacco cutworm. Mixtures of Bt products didn't have synergistic effects to the tested moths. Also application of twice and four times the recommended concentration didn't improve the control effects against the tested three species of moths.

• Mycobiology
• /
• v.42 no.4
• /
• pp.385-390
• /
• 2014

The beet armyworm Spodoptera exigua (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is difficult to control using chemical insecticides because of the development of insecticide resistance. Several pest control agents are used to control the beet armyworm. Entomopathogenic fungi are one of the candidates for eco-friendly pest control instead of chemical control agents. In this study, among various entomopathogenic fungal strains isolated from soil two isolates were selected as high virulence pathogens against larva of beet armyworm. Control efficacy of fungal conidia was influenced by conidia concentration, temperature, and relative humidity (RH). The isolates Metarhizium anisopliae FT83 showed 100% cumulative mortality against second instar larvae of S. exigua 3 days after treatment at $1{\times}10^7$ conidia/mL and Paecilomyces fumosoroseus FG340 caused 100% mortality 6 days after treatment at $1{\times}10^4$ conidia/mL. Both M. anisopliae FT83 and P. fumosoroseus FG340 effectively controlled the moth at $20{\sim}30^{\circ}C$. M. anisopliae FT83 was significantly affected mortality by RH: mortality was 86.7% at 85% RH and 13.4% at 45% RH. P. fumosoroseus FG340 showed high mortality as 90% at 45% RH and 100% at 75% RH 6 days after conidia treatments. These results suggest that P. fumosoroseus FG340 and M. anisopliae FT83 have high potential to develop as a biocontrol agent against the beet armyworm.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.33 no.6
• /
• pp.707-714
• /
• 2023

Plant-derived insecticide-neonicotinoid insecticides (NIs) played a crucial role in the development of agriculture and food industry in recent years. Nevertheless, synthesis of these nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compounds with an effective and greener routing remains challenging especially to the notion raise of "green chemistry" and "atom economy". While bio-catalyzed methods mediated by nicotinate dehydrogenase (NDHase) then provide an alternative. The current review mainly focuses on the introduction of sources, components, structure, catalytic mechanism and applications of NDHase. Specifically, NDHase is known as nicotinic acid hydroxylase and the sources principally derived from phylum Proteobacteria. In addition, NDHase requires the participation of the electron respiratory chain system on the cell membrane. And the most important components of the electron respiratory chain are hydrogen carrier, which is mainly composed of iron-sulfur proteins (Fe-S), flavin dehydrogenase (FAD), molybdenum binding protein and cytochromes. Heterologous expression studies were hampered by the plasmid and host with high efficiency and currently only Pseudomonas entomophila L48 as well as Comamonas testosterone was successfully utilized for the expression of NDHase. Furthermore, it is speculated that the conjugate and inductive effects of the substituent group at position 3 of the substrate pyridine ring exerts a critical role in the hydroxylation reactions at position 6 concerning about the substrate molecular recognition mechanism. Finally, applications of NDHase are addressed in terms of pesticide industry and wastewater treatment. On conclusion, this critical review would not only deepen our understanding of the theory about NDHase, but also provides the guideline for future investigation of NDHase.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
• /
• v.29 no.4
• /
• pp.244-251
• /
• 1990

Three viral insecticides were differently formulated with a nuclear polyhedrosis virus isolated from Spdodoptera litura by addition of feeding attractant, anti-precipitate of polyhedra, spreading agent, and UV-protectants. Sucrose was effective for attraction of larval feeding to increase the mortality and for protection of polyhedra from inactivation by sunlight when added 1% to 5% of sucrose solution to the formulations. Contents of additives to the formulations were 0.5% in polyvinyl alcohol to prohibit the precipitation of polyhedra and 0.1% in Triton X-100 to spread and wet the formulations to the plant. Inactivation of the virus under sunlight was decreased when added 800g of white carbon to 100 L of water in the white carbon formulation and 30% of molasses to the molasses's. In the formulation of white carbon and molasses mixtures, activation of the virus was increased when mixtured 500g of the former with 10% of the latter. Three formulations were persisted their pathogenicity more than 95% of mortality at 3 days p.i. Encapsulation of the polyhedral surface was more distinctively coated with the carbon and showed more effective in the residual effects of the white carbon than others, but the molasses more attractive for larval feeding.