Introduction
Bacillus thuringiensis (Berliner), a soil bacterium, has been
commercialized to manage insect pests due to toxicity of the endotoxin they posses. B. thuringiensis (Bt) formulations have
a narrow host spectrum and have been found to be harmless to
humans, mammals and non-targeted insects. Compared with other
insect pathogens, its life cycle is simple. When nutrients are in
sufficient amounts and the environment is conducive, the spore
germinates producing a vegetative cell that grows and
reproduces by binary fission. The bacterium produces a spore
and parasporal body, the latter is composed primarily of
insecticidal protein toxins (Federici, 1999).
Among the lepidopteran insect pests of cultivated plants,
diamond back moth (Plutella xylostella) is a widely distributed,
serious pest of cruciferous crops (You and Wei, 2007). The pest
is distributed all over India and a direct crop loss due to pest
damage is worth several crores of rupees. Satpathy et al. (2005)
reported 50-80 per cent loss in marketable yield of cabbage due
to attack of P. xylostella. To combat the menace of this pest,
integrated pest management strategies have been developed
with little success. This is mainly because; the pest has developed
resistance not only to chemical insecticides but also to Bt having
certain individual toxins (Tabashnik et al., 1990; Georghiou and
Wirth, 1997). Similarly, if single toxin gene is cloned into another
organism/plant and used extensively for insect control, insect
may become resistant in the field. This necessitates the search
for Bt strains with novel toxins.
India possesses a great diversity of natural ecosystem. One
of the areas rich in endemism is the western ghats which is
recognized as one of the hot spots of biodiversity in the world
(Khoshoo, 1994). This stretch of undisturbed area would allow a
high degree of recombination of genetic content aided by
transposon inherent to B. thuringiensis. Systematic isolation of
* Part of Ph. D. thesis, submitted by the first author to the University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad - 580 005, India
199
Table 2 . Crystal morphology of native isolates obtained from western ghat regions (Isolates from Uttara Kannada)
Crystal morphology
Bipyramidal
Cuboidal
Irregular
Rectangular
Spherical
Isolates
UK-13C, UK-23B
UK-42A, UK-760E
UK-26C,UK-34C,UK-38A, UK-43B, UK-44B,UK-46D,
UK-47B,UK-52A, UK-56C, UK-74C, UK-194D,
UK-214A,UK-774B
UK-195C
UK-25A, UK-25C, UK-26A,UK-28A,UK-38D,UK-39C,
UK-42C, UK-45B,UK-46B,UK-46C, UK-48B, UK-50A,
UK-53B,UK-55B,UK-57C, UK-58B,UK-71C,
UK-159A, UK-190D, UK-216B, UK-230A,
UK-745A, UK-748D, UK-748G, UK-762B,
UK-762D
200
Number of isolates
02
02
13
01
25
01
No.of
larvae
treated
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
24 hrs
30 (33.20)c
0 (0.00)l
26 (30.64)cd
0 (0.00)l
15 (22.78)g
10 (18.43)h
5 (12.92)j
0 (0.00)l
15 (22.78)g
0 (0.00)l
2 (8.13)k
0 (0.00)l
17 (24.34)fg
17 (24.34)fg
18 (25.09)fg
20 (26.55)ef
12 (20.26)h
19 (25.83)f
0 (0.00)l
02 (8.13)k
10 (18.43)h
10 (18.43)h
23 (28.65)de
0 (0.00)l
05 (12.92)j
10 (18.43)h
0 (0.00)l
03 (9.97)k
0 (0.00)l
0 (0.00)l
03 (9.97)k
07 (15.34)i
0 (0.00)l
0 (0.00)l
0 (0.00)
02 (8.13)k
05 (12.92)j
0 (0.00)l
07 (15.34)i
03 (9.97)k
15 (22.78)g
07 (15.34)i
33 (35.05)b
02 (8.13)k
37 (37.45)a
0 (0.00)l
0.73
1.93
75 (59.98)c
15 (22.78)t
70 (56.77)d
15 (22.78)t
47 (43.26)ij
37 (37.45)lm
30 (33.20)no
15 (22.78)t
47 (43.26)ij
0 (0.00)u
23 (28.65)qr
15 (22.78)t
53 (46.70)gh
50 (44.98)hi
53 (46.70)gh
60 (50.75)ef
43 (40.96)jk
57 (49.00)fg
15 (22.78)t
23 (28.65)qr
37 (37.45)lm
39 (38.63)kl
62 (51.92)e
17 (24.34)st
28 (31.94)op
37 (37.45)lm
17 (24.34)st
25 (29.99)pq
20 (26.55)rs
15 (22.78)t
25 (29.99)pq
33 (35.05)mn
20 (26.55)rs
17 (24.34)st
18 (25.09)st
23 (28.65)qr
30 (33.20)no
20 (26.55)rs
33 (35.05)mn
25 (29.99)pq
47 (43.26)ij
35 (36.26)lm
80 (63.41)b
23 (28.65)qr
87 (68.84)a
0 (0.00)u
0.82
2.16
100 (89.96)a
33 (35.05)op
87 (68.84)b
30 (33.20)p
63 (52.51)ef
57 (49.00)gh
50 (44.98) ij
33 (35.05)op
63 (52.51)ef
17 (24.34)q
43 (40.96)klm
30 (33.20)p
69 (56.14)d
67 (54.92)de
67 (54.92)de
77 (61.32)c
60 (50.75)fg
70 (56.77)d
30 (33.20)p
43 (40.96)klm
57 (49.00)gh
58 (49.58)fgh
77 (61.32)c
36 (36.86)no
50 (44.98)ij
58 (49.58)fgh
37 (37.45)no
47 (43.26)jk
40 (39.22)lmn
33 (35.05)op
47 (43.26)jk
53 (46.70)hi
40 (39.22)lmn
37 (37.45)no
39 (38.63)mn
45 (42.11)jkl
50 (44.98)ij
40 (39.22)lmn
53 (46.70)hi
47 (43.26)jk
63 (52.51)ef
53 (46.70)hi
100 (89.96)a
41 (39.80)lmn
100 (89.96)a
10 (18.43)r
0.94
2.48
Note:
Values in the parenthesis are arcsine transferred values.
The values represented by same alphabet are statistically on par with
each other by DMRT mean of three replications.
201
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