1Tocklai Tea Research Institute, Jorhat - 785 008, Assam, India
2Department of Entomology, North Bengal Regional R&D Centre, Nagrakata, Jalpaiguri - 735 225, West Bengal, India
3Agri Genome Labs Private Limited, 501, SCK01 Building, Smart City Kochi, Infopark Road, Kakkanad, Kochi - 682 042, Kerala, India
Department of Entomology, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Rajiv Gandhi University, Rono Hills, Doimukh - 791 112, Arunachal Pradesh, India
*Corresponding author's E-mail : bhabesh.deka@gmail.com
Online published on 27 June, 2024.
An identified and characterized baculovirus of the Nucleopolyhedrosis Virus (HytaNPV) family that infects the larvae of Hyposidra talaca, a significant tea parasite in northeast India. For the purpose of massproducing H. talaca, a semi-synthetic artificial diet was developed, comprising dried powders of tea leaf and seeds, in addition to various other components. The artificial diet exhibited growth, development, and egg production that were similar to those of the natural diet, ensuring effective completion of the life cycle. The semi-synthetic artificial diet that has been prepared may be used for the mass culture of H. talaca in order to strengthen one of the IPM components utilizing the baculovirus.
Artificial diet, Baculovirus, Hyposidra talaca, HytaNPV, Mass rearing
