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Mass Production of the Beneficial Nematode Heterorhabditis bacteriophora and Its Bacterial Symbiont Photorhabdus luminescens

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Abstract

Entomoparasitic nematodes (EPNs) are being commercialized as a biocontrol measure for crop insect pests, as they provide advantages over common chemical insecticides. Mass production of these nematodes in liquid media has become a major challenge for commercialization. Producers are not willing to share the trade secrets of mass production and by doing so, have made culturing EPNs extremely difficult to advance existing technologies. Theoretically, mass production in liquid media is an ideal culturing method as it increases cost efficiency and nematode quantity. This paper will review current culturing methodologies and suggest basic culturing parameters for mass production. This review is focused on Heterorhabditis bacteriophora; however, this information can be useful for other nematode species.

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Acknowledgments

Financial support is provided in part by the National Institute of Child Health and Development (5G11HD052381-05); the North Carolina Biotechnology Center (2010-IDG-1008); and Farm Bureau of Robeson County, North Carolina USA.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sartorius-Stedim Biotechnology Laboratory, Biotechnology Research and Training Center, University of North Carolina at Pembroke, 115 Livermore Drive, Pembroke, NC, 28372, USA

    Floyd L. Inman III & Leonard D. Holmes

  2. Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India

    Sunita Singh

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  1. Floyd L. Inman III
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  2. Sunita Singh
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  3. Leonard D. Holmes
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Correspondence to Leonard D. Holmes.

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Inman, F.L., Singh, S. & Holmes, L.D. Mass Production of the Beneficial Nematode Heterorhabditis bacteriophora and Its Bacterial Symbiont Photorhabdus luminescens . Indian J Microbiol 52, 316–324 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12088-012-0270-2

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