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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #78348
Title: REDUCTION OF COST FOR MASS PROPAGATING CATOLACCUS GRANDIS BY THE USE OF ARTIFICIAL DIET

Author
item Rojas, Maria - Guadalupe
item MORALES-RAMOS, JUAN - TX AGRI EXPER STATION
item King Jr, Edgar

Submitted to: National Cotton Council Beltwide Cotton Conference
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/10/1997
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: An artificial diet for propagating the wasp ectoparasitoid, Catolaccus grandis (Burks) was developed; it has been submitted to the U.S. Patent Office for disclosure. Based on quotations from Sigma Chemical Company, ingredient costs for this diet were $7.94 and $7.40/1000 female parasitoids for liquid and solid diets, respectively. Substitution of less refined ingredients in the solid diet reduced the cost to $5.45/1000 female parasitoids. Performance of those diet-reared parasitoids in the field was as good or better than the parasitoids reared on the defined diet or boll weevil larvae. Projected cost of parasitoids mass propagated on diet purchased in bulk is expected to be at least one-half (near $2.50/1000 females) the cost of parasitoids propagated small scale in the laboratory. Consequently, at the maximum (3,000 females/acre), the cost for the diet- propagated parasites would be about $7.50/acre.