Evaluation of Native Nucleopolyhedrovirus Isolates for Eco-Friendly Management of Tomato Fruit Borer, Helicoverpa Armigera (Hubner)

Abstract

The tomato fruit borer, Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner), is a serious insect pest of many crops in India and several other countries. The native Helicoverpa armigera nucleopolyhedrovirus (HearNPV) isolates were characterised and evaluated for eco-friendly management of the H. armigera in the temperate region of Jammu and Kashmir, India. The biological characterisation of three NPV isolates, one each from North Kashmir, Central Kashmir, and South Kashmir were conducted under laboratory conditions, and the efficacy of the most potent isolate for the management of H. armigera was evaluated under field conditions. The natural incidence of HearNPV at different locations was 1.66 to 5.50 per cent. The HearNPV-IND-K was closely related to the HearNPV Turkey and China isolates as per the phylogenetic analysis based on the polh, lef-8 and lef-9 genes. A mortality of 28.33-73.33 per cent was observed with HearNPV isolates at different concentrations against 2nd instar H. armigera larvae under laboratory conditions. The LC50 and ST50 values of three HearNPV isolates from Kashmir against H. armigera larvae varied from 9.79 × 103 to 9.46 × 104 OBs/larvae and 8.10 to 9.16 days, respectively. The LC50 and ST50 values of HearNPV-IND-NK isolate was significantly lower as compared to other two isolates and it caused 30.66-69.33 per cent mortality in H. armigera larvae on tomato plants under field conditions. The HearNPV has a considerable potential for eco-friendly management of H armigera and can be used as a promising viable alternative to chemical insecticides. © 2025, Informatics Publishing Limited. All rights reserved.