Cost-Effective Artificial Media as Substrates for Mass Cultivation of Entomopathogenic Nematodes (EPNs)
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Abstract
Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) are eco-friendly alternatives to chemical pesticides in controlling agricultural insect pests, yet their mass cultivation remains constrained by high costs and ingredient availability. This study evaluated three cost-effective artificial semi-solid media for cultivating Heterorhabditis spp.: (A) egg yolk + mung bean, (B) egg yolk + fish meal, and (C) egg yolk + dog food. Each medium was inoculated with infective juveniles (IJs) and monitored weekly for 4 weeks, during which population density and physicochemical parameters (color, aroma, shape, and pH) were assessed. By week one, all media supported rapid multiplication, with no significant differences observed among treatments (A: 6,071.60 IJs/mL; B: 6,911.80 IJs/mL; and C: 7,546.20 IJs/mL, p = 0.279). From week two onward, significant differences emerged, with fish meal and dog food supporting higher population densities (9,221.60 9,221.60 ± 1,170.95 and 8,711.60 8,711.60 ± 1,303.25 IJs/mL, respectively) than mung bean (4,231.00 IJs/mL) (p < 0.001). Dog food medium sustained the highest populations through week three (4,682.20 IJs/mL) and retained the largest residual density by week four (287.00 ± 238.00 IJs/mL). Fish meal peaked highest (9,221.60 9,221.60 ± 1,170.95 IJs/mL) on the second week but declined thereafter. Mung bean, the sole plant-based medium, showed descriptive premature deterioration in shape by week two and significant aroma decline by week three, leading to population collapse by week four. These findings establish dog food-supplemented medium as the most cost-effective substrate for sustained EPN mass cultivation.
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References
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