United States Patent (19) 11) Patent Number: 4,902,507 Morris Et Al
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United States Patent (19) 11) Patent Number: 4,902,507 Morris et al. (45) Date of Patent: Feb. 20, 1990 54 TOXCSTRANS OF THE BACTERUM 3,937,813 2/1976 Clark ..................................... 424/93 BACILLUS THURINGIENSIS FOR 3,946,107 3/1976 Westall ...... ... 424/93 CONTROL OF THE BERTHAARMY WORM 4,000,258 12/1976 Shieh et al. ... 424/93 MAMESTRA CONFIGURATA 4,107,294 8/1978 Chauthani. ... 424/93 4,277,564 7/1981 Johnson ..... 435/253 X 75 Inventors: Oswald N. Morris; Marc R. Trottier, 4,609,550 9/1986 Fitz-James ............................ 424/93 both of Manitoba, Canada 4,713,241 12/1987 Wakisaka et al. ... 424/93 (73) Assignee: Canadian Patents & Development 4,797,279 1/1989 Karamata et al. .................... 424/93 Ltd., Ottawa, Canada OTHER PUBLICATIONS 21 Appl. No.: 85,172 Can-Entomol. 118, 473-478 (1986), Morris. 22) Filed: Aug. 14, 1987 Primary Examiner-Howard E. Schain Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Alan A. Thomson (51) Int. C. ....................... A01N 63/00; C12N 1/20; C12R 1/07 (57) ABSTRACT (52) U.S. C. ........................................ 424/93; 424/88; An insecticidal composition for controlling or inhibit 424/92; 435/252.31 ing the growth of larvae of the Bertha armyworm, 58) Field of Search .............. 424/92898, 93; 435/253, comprising an insecticidal substance of one or more 435/252.31 strains of Bacillus thuringiensis and an insecticidally 56) References Cited acceptable carrier. The strains belong to the varieties aizawai, kurstaki and kenyae and include Bacillus thu U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS ringiensis var. aizawai strain HD-133. 3,113,066 12/1963 Emond............................ 435/253 X 3,911,110 10/1975, Smirnoff ............................... 424/93 9 Claims, No Drawings 4,902,507 1. 2 Efforts have been made to increase the effectiveness TOXICSTRANS OF THE BACTERIUM BACILLUS of bacterial insecticides based on Bacillus thuringiensis THURINGIENSIS FOR CONTROL OF THE by associating the Bacillus thuringiensis with another BERTHAARMY WORM MAMESTRA insecticidally active substance; e.g. see Canadian Patent CONFIGURATA Nos. 687428, 698579, 965001 and 1184137 as well as U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,113,066, 3,911,110, 3,937,813, 4,000,258 This invention relates to a bacterial insecticide and a and 4,107,294. method for controlling or inhibiting the growth of lar It would be advantageous to have bacterial insecti vae of Mamestra configurata (WALKER) (Lepidoptera, cides based on one or more strains of Bacillus thuringien Noctuidae), commonly known as "the Bertha army O sis which have a toxic quality which can be exploited to worm'. W effectively control the Bertha armyworm, Mamestra The Bertha armyworm (Manestra configurata) is a configurata. lepidopterous insect and is a periodic economic pest of It would, in particular, be advantageous to have bac rapeseed, canola and several other cruciferous crops, as terial insecticides wherein the active ingredient could well as of some cereal crops. The larvae or caterpillars 15 be based, essentially only, on one or more strains of of this insect pest feed mainly on the leaves of plants. Bacillus thuringiensis which have a toxic quality which Infestations of the larvae on vegetation can be highly can be exploited to effectively control the larvae of the destructive to infested plants if not controlled. Bertha armyworm, Mamestra configurata i.e. against The larvae of the Bertha armyworm, can be con larvae in the growth stages thereof. trolled, at present, by the use of highly toxic chemical It would be advantageous to have bacterial insecti insecticides. However, such chemical insecticides are cides which could be based on a combination (ie mix potentially injurious not only to the natural agricultural ture) of the toxic quality of one or more strains of Bacil environment (i.e. the plants it is intended to protect) but lus thuringiensis and of one or more other active ingredi also to human beings and other animal life. ents such as other insecticides or pesticides, the combi Bacterial based insecticides, which are environmen 25 nation being effective against the Bertha armyworm, tally more acceptable, have been suggested as an alter Manestra configurata, native to the use of chemical insecticides; see Canadian It would also be advantageous to have a method for Patent Nos. 687428, 698579, 95.8330, 96500 and combating infestations of the larvae of the Bertha army 184137 as well as U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,113,066, 3,911,110, worm, Mamestra configurata on crops or other plants by 3,937,813, 4,000,258 and 4,107,294. The above prior art 30 applying thereto one or more strains of Bacillus thurin generally discloses that Bacillus thuringiensis has a toxic giensis which have a toxic quality which can be ex quality which may be exploited in the form of bacterial ploited to effectively control the larvae of the Bertha based insecticides for lepidopterous insects; e.g. see U.S. armyworm, Manestra configurata, Pat. Nos. 3,113,066 and 4,000,258. Accordingly, the present invention is concerned with A number of commercial insecticide formulations, 35 the following strains of Bacillus thuringiensis which based on Bacillus thuringiensis, are also known. In par have shown themselves to have a toxic quality which ticular, commercial insecticides are known which are may be exploited to provide an effective means of com based on the exploitation of the toxic quality of Bacillus bating or controlling the larvae of the Bertha army thuringiensis var. kurstaki for example, products such as worm, Mannestra configurata, namely: Dipel 132 (reg. TM) from Abbott Laboratories, North Bacillus thuringiensis var. aizawai strain HD-133; Chicago, Ill. and Thuricide 48 LV (reg. TM) from Zoe Bacillus thuringiensis var. aizawai strain HD-131; con, Palo Alto, Calif. Bacillus thuringiensis var. aizawai strain HD-127; However, different strains of the various bacterial Bacillus thuringiensis var. aizawai strain HD-113; varieties of Bacillus thuringiensis have different toxic Bacillus thuringiensis var. aizawai strain HD-135; qualities. These differences can give rise to different 45 Bacillus thuringiensis var. kuristaki strain HD-262; effects on different insect species. Studies have shown Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki strain HD-337; and that known commercial bacterial insecticides such as Bacillus thuringiensis var. kenyae strain HD-551. those referred to above are not sufficiently effective The nomenclature of the Bacillus thuringiensis strains, against larvae of the Bertha armyworm, Mamestra con as used herein, follows that used at the International figurata (e.g. they are not economically competitive 50 Depository of Bacillus thuringiensis strains held by the with other types of insecticides); MORRIS, O. N. 1986. U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, at the Subtropical Crop Susceptibility of the bertha armyworm, Mamestra con Insects Research Unit, Brownsville, Tex., U.S.A.; the figurata (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae), to commercial for strains are on deposit at this International Depository in mulations of Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki. Can. Texas. Entomol. 118, 473–478. 55 At the same time that the Bacillus thuringiensis strains, The Bacillus thuringiensis strain, Bacillus thuringiensis mentioned above, produce their respective spores, they var. kurstaki strain HD-1-S-1980 (referred to below), also produce an associated delta-endotoxin (crystalline for example, does not have a sufficient toxic quality proteinous toxin). The delta-endotoxin of each of the which can be used to effectively combat the Bertha above mentioned strains possess insecticidal activity armyworm, Manestra configurata. The median lethal 60 against the Bertha armyworm. The spores and the asso concentration of this strain has been found to be 964 ug ciated delta-endotoxin produced in the cells of a partic primary powder/ml diet, the primary powder being a ular strain can, if desired, be recovered therefrom in the freeze dried product consisting essentially of the spores form of a primary (i.e. freeze-dried) powder as de and the delta-endotoxin associated with this strain (see scribed in the literature mentioned below. literature mentioned below). This median lethal concen 65 Thus, the present invention, in particular, provides an tration is equivalent to 15400 IU/ml diet; this relatively insecticide composition for inhibiting the growth of high value indicates that Manestra configurata is one of larvae of Manestra configurata, comprising the least susceptible noctuids to this HD-1 strain. an insecticidal substance of a strain of 4,902,507 3 4 Bacillus thuringiensis and The insecticidal substance may take any other form an insecticidally acceptable carrier which allows for the exploitation of the toxic quality of said insecticidal substance comprising delta-endotoxin the Bacillus thuringiensis strain (e.g. of a respective del of said strain, ta-endotoxin). The insecticidal substance can thus be a said strain of Bacillus thuringiensis being selected from 5 fermented broth, a condensate, a freeze dried product. the class of strains consisting of . etC. Bacillus thuringiensis var. aizawai strain HD-133; The insecticidal substance of a Bacillus thuringiensis Bacillus thuringiensis var. aizawai strain HD-13 l; strain described above may be applied to a plant (e.g. Bacillus thuringiensis var. aizawai strain HD-127; rapeseed, canola, cruciferous plants . etc.), in known Bacillus thuringiensis var. aizawai strain HD-113; 10 manner in association with an inert liquid or solid car Bacillus thuringiensis var. aizawai strain HD-135; rier depending on whether the insecticidal substance is Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki strain HD-262; to be applied by means of a spraying or dusting tech Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki strain HD-337; and nique. Any such application should of course be carried Bacillus thuringiensis var. kenyae strain HD-551. out so that those parts of the plant being eaten by the In accordance with the present invention, the insecti 5 larvae will include the insecticidal substance, i.e. so that cide composition may comprise or include in addition the insecticidal substance will be ingested by the larvae to the insecticidal substance and the insecticidally ac to facilitate the poisoning or infection thereof.