Chinese biopesticide company Henan Jiyuan Baiyun Industry Co., Ltd., popularly known as Keyun Biocontrol’s Spodoptera litura NPV 20 billionPIB/g WG, with Spodo-NPV as its trademark, got approval in Bangladesh recently. Spodo-NPV (active ingredient: Spodoptera lituranucleopolyhedrovirus) can be used by conventional and organic growers tocontrol common cutworm, a major pest attacking cash crops, such as tomato,cotton, chilli and broccoli, among others, in Bangladesh.
The active ingredient of Spodo-NPV is a naturally occurring nucleopolyhedrovirus thatinfects common cutworm larvae. This virus is very host specific. It does notinfect beneficial insect, fish, wildlife, livestock or humans, and its use does not harm the environment. Common cutworm larvae feeding on crops sprayed withSpodo-NPV become infected by ingesting the virus particles deposited on theplant. An infected early-instar larva dies within three to four days as the virus replicates quickly within its body,destroying its internal organs. When it dies, its body disintegrates, releasingbillions of new virus particles that may then be ingested by other commoncutworm larvae of the same or later generations, feeding in the same area. Spodo-NPV has been successfullyused in several provinces of China, such as Beijing, Hebei, Shandong, Zhejiang,Shanghai, Henan, Guangdong, Fujian and Yunan, to control the common cutworm inleafy vegetables, asparagus and cotton.
The common cutworm, Spodoptera litura, is a polyphagouspest that attacks several varieties of plant species, includinga wide range of economically important vegetables and ornamental plants intropical and subtropical regions, causing significant economic losses. “In Bangladesh, due to the indiscriminate use of toxicchemical pesticides, common cutworm, Spodopteralitura has developed high resistance to synthetic chemicals, as well as resulted in high pesticide residues,” saidYingjie Zhou, director, global marketing of Keyun Biocontrol. A biopesticidelike Spodo-NPV, however, employs a novel mode of action that’s highly effectivein controlling the common cutworm. Our field trials have proven that Spodo-NPV canreach 93.4% efficacy in controlling this insect. Due to its feature of zeroresidue, the product not only fits the model of organic farming but can also be incorporated into resistance management programs. Spodo-NPV will definitely provide the farmers with a safe and effective biocontrol product to controlcommon cutworm larvae.”
