IDENTIFICATION, INSECTICIDAL EFFECT AND ANTIBIOSIS STUDIES OF SOME BACTERIA ISOLATED FROM NATURALLY INFECTED Pectinophora gossypiella (SAUND.) COLLECTED FROM COTTON FIELDS IN EGYPT

One of the important Integrated Pest Management Strategies (IPM) against economic pests in Egypt is the use of biological control methods.The use of entomo - pathogenic bacteria is one of these methods. The authors achieved four isolates of bacteria from the naturally infected P. gossypiella in cotton fields at Assuit and Kafr El–Sheikh Governorates, Egypt. Isolates were characterized based on morphological properties. Morphological analyses were carried out based on Bergey s Manual of Systematic Bacteriology. The identification of the isolated bacteria was confirmed by using Biolog-System as, Staphyloccus sciuri, Micrococcus luteus, Brevibacterium lines Brevibacterium casei. In addition, their larvicidal effect was evaluated. The results revealed that, S. sciuri and M. luteus were the most effective against 1st instar larvae of PBW. Furthermore, their latent effect caused the lowest pupation % resulted from treated PBW larvae. S. sciuri was the most promising bacterial isolate to be developed as a biological control agent against P.gossypiella. The antagonists of bacterial strain against the mycelial growth of the pathogenic fungi (Rhizoctonia solani, Fusarium solani and Macrophomia phaseolina), was experimently tested to evaluate growth reduction of all pathogenic fungi.