TY - JOUR
T1 - Effect of moisture evaporation from diatomaceous earth pellets on storage stability of Steinernema glaseri
AU - Cortés-Martínez, C. I.
AU - Ruiz-Vega, J.
AU - Matadamas-Ortiz, P. T.
AU - Lewis, E. E.
AU - Aquino-Bolaños, T.
AU - Navarro-Antonio, J.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2016 Taylor & Francis.
PY - 2016/3/3
Y1 - 2016/3/3
N2 - Induction of anhydrobiosis and storage stability of entomopathogenic nematodes are influenced by moisture availability. Decreasing moisture content in diatomaceous earth (DE) pellets containing the Steinernema glaseri NJ-43 strain and its effect on survival time and infectivity of the nematode were determined. Pelletisation was performed in a vortex mixer, using DE Celite® 209 as the desiccant material. Pellets were stored at room temperature (23 ± 2°C) and high relative humidity (96–100%). Nematode survival and infectivity against last instar greater wax moth, Galleria mellonella, were tested daily. Initial average and average equilibrium moisture content in pellets were 66.7% and 13.6%, respectively, and the infective juveniles mean survival time was 8.8 days. A moisture transfer model based on diffusion and evaporation was evaluated to predict moisture fluctuations within the pellets. We concluded that 84% of variation in S. glaseri infectivity on G. mellonella larvae was explained by the survival of the nematode, whereas 52% of variation in S. glaseri survival was explained by the loss of moisture from the pellets. The moisture transfer model achieved 78% reliability in predicting moisture content and fluctuations. Therefore, the mechanisms of moisture diffusion and evaporation from the surface to the surrounding atmosphere contribute significantly to moisture loss from the pellets.
AB - Induction of anhydrobiosis and storage stability of entomopathogenic nematodes are influenced by moisture availability. Decreasing moisture content in diatomaceous earth (DE) pellets containing the Steinernema glaseri NJ-43 strain and its effect on survival time and infectivity of the nematode were determined. Pelletisation was performed in a vortex mixer, using DE Celite® 209 as the desiccant material. Pellets were stored at room temperature (23 ± 2°C) and high relative humidity (96–100%). Nematode survival and infectivity against last instar greater wax moth, Galleria mellonella, were tested daily. Initial average and average equilibrium moisture content in pellets were 66.7% and 13.6%, respectively, and the infective juveniles mean survival time was 8.8 days. A moisture transfer model based on diffusion and evaporation was evaluated to predict moisture fluctuations within the pellets. We concluded that 84% of variation in S. glaseri infectivity on G. mellonella larvae was explained by the survival of the nematode, whereas 52% of variation in S. glaseri survival was explained by the loss of moisture from the pellets. The moisture transfer model achieved 78% reliability in predicting moisture content and fluctuations. Therefore, the mechanisms of moisture diffusion and evaporation from the surface to the surrounding atmosphere contribute significantly to moisture loss from the pellets.
KW - Entomopathogenic nematode
KW - desiccation
KW - diffusion
KW - evaporation
KW - modelling
KW - pelletisation
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84954349103&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/09583157.2015.1104650
DO - 10.1080/09583157.2015.1104650
M3 - Artículo
SN - 0958-3157
VL - 26
SP - 305
EP - 319
JO - Biocontrol Science and Technology
JF - Biocontrol Science and Technology
IS - 3
ER -