The granulovirus of the potato tuber moth Phthorimaea operculella (Zeller)

The potato tuber moth Phthorimaea operculella (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) is the most important pest in potato production in the tropics and subtropics. Faced with serious and increasing problems due to the extensive use of chemical pesticides to control this pest, safer alternatives such as the use of entomopathogens are of growing interest. The research presented here focus on the efficient integration of the endemic granulovirus infecting the potato tuber moth (PoGV) as biopesticide into IPM strategies. The investigations include basic research on the granulovirus-host interaction and ecology which allows a comprehensive understanding of the system and how the system is influenced by environmental factors, and applied research to improve the virus mass propagation technique and the UV-stability of the virus. The results presented allow differentiation between conditions occurring in different agroecological regions for appropriate management of the virus.