41st Annual Meeting of the Society for Invertebrate Pathology
and 9th International Conference on Bacillus thuringiensis

Nematodes are expensive active ingredients and a reduction in dosage by improved application techniques is needed to open new markets. In turf, it is now common practice to use specific tensides to improve the penetration of water and nematodes through dry patches of the thatch layer. If available, nematode application via the irrigation system is one of the best options since they are delivered to the moist soil parts where the pest insects are most likely to feed. Initial supervision and training is however often required to establish this application regime under the specific conditions of a certain grower. Nematode products against cockroaches and woodlice are applied in “attract and kill”-stations. Stations like these might be suitable for other pests, as well. Since the pest encounters very high doses in the bait station, even pests which were considered unsusceptible can probably be killed with nematodes using this approach. A targeted application to the plant can be achieved by applying nematode agglomerates - as granules or infected insects - during sowing or planting, but is not yet implemented in practice. Abovegrond applications in non-protected crops (apples) have recently been established.