Effect of Soil Moisture and a Surfactant on Entomopathogenic Nematode Suppression of the Pecan Weevil, Curculio caryae
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 25, 2026
Isolation and Selection of Entomopathogenic Fungi from Soil Samples and Evaluation of Fungal Virulence against Insect Pests
Published on: September 28, 2021
David I Shapiro-Ilan1, Ted E Cottrell, Ian Brown
1USDA-ARS, SAA, Southeastern Fruit and Tree Nut Research Laboratory, 21 Dunbar Road, Byron, GA 31008 Department of Biology, Georgia Southwestern State University, Americus, GA 31709 Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Griffin, GA 30223 USDA-ARS, Southeast Watershed Research Laboratory, Tifton, GA 31793.
Abstract:
Our overall goal was to investigate several aspects of pecan weevil, Curculio caryae, suppression with entomopathogenic nematodes. Specifically, our objectives were to: 1) determine optimum moisture levels for larval suppression, 2) determine suppression of adult C. caryae under field conditions, and 3) measure the effects of a surfactant on nematode efficacy. In the laboratory, virulence of Heterorhabditis megidis (UK211) and Steinernema carpocapsae (All) were tested in a loamy sand at gravimetric water contents of negative 0.01, 0.06, 0.3, 1.0, and 15 bars. Curculio caryae larval survival decreased as moisture levels increased. The nematode effect was most pronounced at -0.06 bars. At -0.01 bars, larval survival was
