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Identification of a species of Plasmodium sp. as a potential biocontrol agent for cotton bollworm in northwest Iran
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Parinaz Sheibani   , Manijeh Jamshidi * , Reza Khakvar , Sevil Nematollahi |
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Abstract: (461 Views) |
Introduction: Cotton bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera) is one of the major agricultural pests in the world and Iran, which larvae can damage more than 120 types of agricultural crops, including cotton, alfalfa, tomato, potato, tobacco, corn, rice, sorghum, different legumes and vegetables and several ornamental plants. Various methods have been proposed to control this pest, one of the safest of which is biological control using microbial agents.
Materials & Methods: In the current research, during the summer of 2018-2019, several vegetable fields, including tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, etc., were investigated in East Azerbaijan province in Norwest Iran to collect H. armigera larvae. About 52 apparently diseased larvae were collected separately from several vegetable fields. The collected larvae were transferred to the laboratory under sterile and cool conditions. The samples were analyzed to find lethal infectious microbial agents.
Result: In 12 samples, despite the contagious lethal property of larvae extract, no pathogenic bacteria or fungi were isolated. Due to the failure of the lethal agent to pass through the 0.45µm biological filters, the hypothesis of the virality of the pathogenic agent was rejected. Microscopic study showed that these specimens probably contain a type of eukaryotic single cell. DNA extraction was performed using CTAB method and the total-DNA sample containing the genome of the host insect along with the pathogen was sent for whole genome sequencing.
Conclusion: The result showed that the collected samples are likely infected with a non-cultivable single-cell Apicomplexa type of Plasmodium group and probably belonging to the Plasmodium yoelii species. |
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| Keywords: Biocontrol, Helicoverpa armigera, Vegetables, Plasmodium yoelii, Unicellular |
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Full-Text [PDF 892 kb]
(186 Downloads)
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Type of Study: Review |
Subject:
Special
Received: 2026/01/3 | Accepted: 2026/01/30 | Published: 2026/03/1
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