Inexpensive Screening Method to Validate the Efficacy of Ethanedinitrile Fumigant on the Forest Invasive Nematode Pest Bursaphelenchus xylophilus

Ondřej Douda, Václav Stejskal, Marie Manasova, Miloslav Zouhar and Jonáš Hnatek
Additional contact information
Ondřej Douda: Division of Plant Health, Crop Research Institute Prague, Drnovská 507, 161 06 Prague 6, Ruzyně, Czech Republic
Václav Stejskal: Division of Plant Health, Crop Research Institute Prague, Drnovská 507, 161 06 Prague 6, Ruzyně, Czech Republic
Marie Manasova: Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agrobiology Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 129, 165 00 Prague 6, Suchdol, Czech Republic
Miloslav Zouhar: Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agrobiology Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 129, 165 00 Prague 6, Suchdol, Czech Republic
Jonáš Hnatek: Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agrobiology Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 129, 165 00 Prague 6, Suchdol, Czech Republic

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 11, 1-7

Abstract: At a global scale, the sustainability of forests is endangered by multiple invasive species, including the pine wood nematode ( Bursaphelenchus xylophilus) , a quarantine pest. International laws and standards require that all exported wood coming from countries in which B. xylophilus is present be chemically or physically treated. Since a major fumigant, methyl bromide, was banned, there has been a need to generate data for alternative fumigants, such as ethanedinitrile (EDN), for this purpose. Since the field screening of fumigants (i.e., the application of various doses to and exposure times of naturally infested wood logs) is prohibitively expensive, the aim of this study was to develop a quick and inexpensive laboratory method. Here, we suggest and describe an innovative method based on sawdust cultures for EDN efficacy screening. In the validation part of this study, we demonstrated (i) the high survival of the nematodes in the sawdust and (ii) the high efficacy of EDN against this pest under in vitro conditions; 100% mortality was observed after 6 h of EDN exposure to a dose of 25 g/m 3 . In particular, our newly developed model system could be used for the initial screening of various doses of and exposure protocols for EDN and similar types of fumigants developed with the intention of regulating B. xylophilus occurrence in exported wood. It is believed that the validated method may help to develop new and effective EDN fumigation procedures and thereby contribute to the long-term protection of forests worldwide.

Keywords: Bursaphelenchus xylophilus; ethanedinitrile; EDN; fumigation; model testing (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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