Adriana Sáenz Aponte

• MSc
• Professor at Pontifical Xavierian University

In Colombia, identification of entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN's) native species is of great importance for pest management programs. The aim of this study was to isolate and identify EPNs and their bacterial symbiont in the department of Cauca-Colombia and then evaluate the susceptibility of two Hass avocado (Persea americana) pests to the EPNs is...

In Colombia, Heterorhabditis indica SL0708 is an entomopathogenic nematode (EPN) used for effective biological control of insect pests. The purpose of this study was to standardize hermaphrodite and axenic egg extraction, in addition to describe egg developmental stages to optimize in vitro infective juvenile egg production for future pest control....

Photorhabdus luminescens subsp. akhurstii SL0708 (Enterobacteriaceae) is a symbiont of the entomopathogenic nematode (EPN), Heterorhabditis indica SL0708 (Nematoda: Rhabditida), used for insect pest biological control. In the present study, P. luminescens subsp. akhurstii SL0708 growth kinetic was evaluated considering growth and metabolic phases (...

Heterorhabditis indica SL0708 is an entomopathogenic nematode isolated from Valle del Cauca-Colombia, whose bacterial symbiont, Photorhabdus luminescens subsp. akhurstii SL0708, has potential to control pests of economic importance in Colombia. Since in vivo production does not supply its demand, this investigation evaluated H. indica SL0708 produc...

Since the 1980s, research into entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) in Latin America has produced many remarkable discoveries. In fact, 16 out of the 117 recognized species of EPNs have been recovered and described in the subcontinent, with many more endemic species and/or strains remaining to be discovered and identified. In addition, from an applied...

Entomopathogenic nematodes are key players for insect pest control and constitute an environmentally friendly alternative for crop protection. The insecticidal activity of the family Heterorhabditidae relies on a tight symbiotic relationship with enterobacteria of the genus Photorhabdus, where the bacterial contribution towards the death of the hos...

The diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella) is a major pest of broccoli crops in Colombia. To control P. xylostella, we evaluated the interaction of Beauveria bassiana Bb9205 and Metarhizium anisopliae Ma9236 with Heterorhabditis bacteriophora HNI0100 and its bacterial symbiont Photorhabdus luminescens HNI0100. We used antagonism and disk diffusion...

Guava weevil, Conotrachelus psidii Marshall (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is one of the major pests affecting guava cultivation in Santander-Colombia, resulting in severe fruit loss in terms of quality and quantity. In this study, efficacy of the entomopathogenic nematodes; Heterorhabditis indica SL0708 and Steinernema sp. JCL024, applied to greater...

Strategus aloeus L (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), known as "Little bull" or oil palm "chiza" is a limiting pest in palm plantation in Cesar Colombia. Its management is based on pesticide use or old palm removal in renewal lots. Therefore, other alternatives are being sought out. Entomopathogenic nematodes isolated from the Colombian Andean region were...

The diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella) is a major pest of broccoli worldwide. It mainly causes leaf defoliation and generates annual losses of 80%. In this study we evaluated the susceptibility of P. xylostella to entomopathogens Heterorhabditis bacteriophora HNI0100, Beauveria bassiana Bb9205 and Metarhizium anisopliae Ma9236. The methodology...

La Convención en Diversidad Biológica resalta la importancia de los polinizadores y el establecimiento de una iniciativa internacional para la conservación y el uso sostenible de los polinizadores. Dentro de este contexto, la FAO estableció el Plan de Acción Global en Servicios de Polinización para una Agricultura Sostenible como guía para los país...

The seed maggot, Delia platura, is a major pest of spinach crops in the savanna of Bogotá. In Colombia, chemical insecticides are used to manage the pest; however, because its management is not integrated, information about pest management in spinach is still undetermined. Here, we evaluated the susceptibility of D. platura to seven species of ento...

Heterorhabditis sp SL0708 (Rhabditida: Heterorhabditidae) is a native entomopathogenic nematode from Alcalá, Valle del Cauca (Colombia), a natural enemy of insects that can be used for controlling Plutella xylostella L, Conotrachelus psidii Marshall and Delia platura (Meigen); however its biological characterization is unknown. In order to know abo...

La mosca de la semilla, Delia platura, es una de las principales plagas en los cultivos de espinaca en la sabana de Bogotá. En Colombia la plaga es controlada mediante la aplicación de insecticidas y la información sobre su control sigue siendo limitada. Por ello el objetivo de este trabajo fue evaluar la susceptibilidad de D. platura a siete aisla...

The seed maggot, Delia platura, is a major pest of spinach crops in the savanna of Bogotá. In Colombia, chemical insecticides are used to manage the pest; however, because its management is not integrated, information about pest management in spinach is still undetermined. Here, we evaluated the susceptibility of D. platura to seven species of ento...

We evaluated the level of control of Delia platura (Meigen, 1826) (Diptera: Anthomyiidae) by Steinernema sp. strain JCL027 in commercial spinach production. Three crop phenological stages were evaluated separately: germination, development, and harvest. At the beginning of each stage, applications were made as follows: 0, 5 x 102, 1 x 103, 2 x 103,...

We evaluated the level of control of Delia platura (Meigen, 1826) (Diptera: Anthomyiidae) by Steinernema sp. strain JCL027 in commercial spinach production. Three crop phenological stages were evaluated separately: germination, development, and harvest. At the beginning of each stage, applications were made as follows: 0, 5 x 10(2), 1 x 10(3), 2 x...

The entomopathogenic nematode Heterorhabditis sp. SL0708 (Rhabditida: Heterorhabditidae) isolated from soil in Alcalá, Valle del Cauca (Colombia) was characterised ecologically using Galleria mellonella larvae (L) (Pyralidae: Galleriinae) as hosts. The effect of temperature on the viability, infectivity and reproduction, and of moisture on infectiv...

The guava weevil Conotrachelus psidii Marshall is a major pest affecting guava cultivation in Santander, Colombia; it causes serious losses in the quality and the volume of fruit produced. Biological control is a viable option for pest management; entomopathogen-ic nematodes (EPNs), particularly, have shown good results (63-90% mortality) in contro...

The guava weevil Conotrach­elus psidii Marshall is a major pest affecting guava cultiva­tion in Santander, Colombia; it causes serious losses in the quality and the volume of fruit produced. Biological control is a viable option for pest management; entomo­pathogenic nematodes (EPNs), particularly, have shown good results (63-90% mortality) in cont...

Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) known as the diamondback moth (DBM) is the more important pestof cruciferous crops in Colombia. The most common control strategy has been the use of che mically synthesized insecticides such as pyrethroids, carbamates, organophosphates and growth regulators. As an alternative control, we evaluated the...

Los dípteros cumplen diversas funciones en los ecosistemas como polinizadores, depredadores y parasitoides, fitófagos, entre otros, por lo que es importante estudiar los cambios de su diversidad en agroecosistemas para su apropiado manejo. Este trabajo se planteó con el objetivo de establecer la abundancia, riqueza, diversidad y composición de morf...

Las especies de parasitoides (Hymenoptera) son de gran importancia para el mantenimiento del equilibrio natural de los ecosistemas y han sido utilizados como controladores de plagas de manera exitosa. Con el objetivo de identificar sistemas de mayor aporte de especies benéficas, se reconoció y comparó la abundancia, diversidad y composición de los...

Entomopathogenic nematodes of the genus Heterorhabditis are important agents for the biological control of pests. We determined the pathogenicity, symptomatology, in vivo multiplication and life cycle in larvae of Galleria mellonella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) for a nematode isolated from Alcalá, Valle del Cauca, Colombia called Heterorhabditis sp. S...

The study was aimed to test the pathogenicity of Steinernema sp. and Heterorhabditis sp. in Collaria scenica. The effect of different concentrations of infective juveniles (IJ) were tested on nymphs and adults of C. scenica. For this purpose, the bugs were inoculated with 5 000 JI of each nematode species in a factorial design (3x2), and seven conc...

The mobility and speed of entomopathogenic nematodes (Steinernema sp. SNIO198) were evaluated in soils of an oil palm plantation in Tumaco, Colombia in order to establish whether this control system could be applied for the management of Sagalassa valida, one of the most important pests that affects plantations. Plastic columns, 25 cm long, were us...

Sagalassa valida, the oil palm rootworm (Elaeis guineensis), is one of the most important pests from Western Colombia, Tumaco (Nariño). However, there is no knowledge about the biology of the larval stages. Therefore to manage this insect, a study was established on the speed of movement of the first instar larvae in greenhouse palms. To do this, P...