09/08/06 Insect virus may help with tuber moth

Farm and Ranch September 8, 2006 Researchers in the northwest are looking at an insect pathogen as a possible control for the potato tuber moth. It's an insect pathogen called a granulovirus and in July USDA Agricultural Research Service scientists in Wapato, Washington, began testing the granulovirus' potential to control the moth's caterpillar stage, which feeds on both the potato plant and its tubers. The Washington State Potato Commission is helping to fund this research. Lawrence Lacey, an ARS entomologist at Wapato, says except for a few other potato tuber moth relatives, this highly specific pathogen doesn't infect other insects, or humans and other mammals. Lacey and ARS colleague Steven Arthurs are studying ways to biologically produce and formulate the granulovirus as biopesticide product that potato growers could spray on their crops before harvest, when synthetic insecticides are not used. Another potential use is on stored potatoes. Although the granulovirus is already used in other countries to protect stored potatoes from infestation, it`s not commercially available to U.S. growers, and limited research has been done investigating the pathogen`s preharvest potential. Lacey is leading the studies as part of a three-year cooperative agreement involving scientists at Oregon State University's Hermiston Agricultural Research and Extension Center and the International Potato Center in Lima, Peru. That's the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report. Brought to you in part by the Washington State Potato Commission. Nutrition today! Good health tomorrow! I'm Bob Hoff on the Northwest Ag Information Network.