R. E. Pinnell

Laboratory studies of the entomopathogenic fungus Nomuraea rileyi: Soil-borne contamination of soybean seedlings and dispersal of diseased larvae of Trichoplusia ni

Abstract Germinating soybean seedlings were contaminated by soil-borne conidia of the entomogenous fungus Nomuraea rileyi . Although N. rileyi was detected on the unifoliate and trifoliate leaflets, most of the inoculum was found on the cotyledons. Diseased larvae of Trichoplusia ni released on the first trifoliate leaves of soybean plants dispersed to all trifoliates and died. In this way, inoculum is produced that infects other larvae feeding on these leaves.