An entomopathogenic bacterium, Xenorhabdus nematophila (Xn), is symbiotic to a nematode, Steinernema carpocapsae, and exhibits high pathogenicity to lepidoptera insects. Its metabolites released into the bacterial culture broth and also virulent in oral especially when they are treated with Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). This study devised a high efficacy microbial insecticide by combining Xn culture broth and Bt. Bt kurstaki (Btk) exhibited relatively higher pathogenicity to Plutella xylostella than Spodoptera exigua larvae. By contrast, Bt aizawai (Bta) showed a reverse pathogenicity pattern. Phase Ⅰ type of Xn (XnK1) was isolated from S. carpocapsae Pochun and exhibited high pathogenicity than phase Ⅱ bacteria. Three bacterial mixtures of Bta+XnK1, Btk+XnK1, and Bta+Btk+XnK1 were prepared and analyzed in their target insects. Bta+XnK1 showed higher pathogenicity than those of Bta alone or Btk+XnK1 in P. xylostella. Btk+XnK1 showed higher pathogenicity than those of Btk alone or Bta+XnK1 in S. exigua. Bta+BtK+XnK1 showed high pathogenicity against both P. xylostella and S. exigua.

• Seonghyeon Eom(Department of Bioresource Sciences, Andong)
• Moonsu Kang(YA Korea, INC.)
• Kyunghyung Yang(YA Korea, INC.)
• Hyunghwan Kim(National Horticultural Research Institute, RDA)
• Youngjin Park(Department of Bioresource Sciences, Andong)
• Yonggyun Kim(Department of Bioresource Sciences, Andong)