Hybridisation and genetic selection for improving desiccation tolerance of the entomopathogenic nematode<i>Steinernema feltiae</i>

Abstract Shelf life of biological control products based on the entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema feltiae is rather limited. In order to prolong shelf life, the metabolism of nematodes during storage must be reduced, either by low temperature or by means of desiccation of the third stage dauer juveniles (DJs). Tolerance to desiccation is limited in S. feltiae. Their tolerance can be increased by an adaptation to moderate desiccation conditions. The objective of this study was to screen for tolerant strains among wild type populations of S. feltiae, hybridise most tolerant strains and further improve desiccation tolerance by subjection of the hybrid strain to genetic selection. Dehydrating conditions, measured as water activity (a w-values), were produced by treating DJs with different concentrations of the polymer polyethylene glycol 600. Significant variation was recorded among 24 S. feltiae strains. The mean tolerated water activity survived by 50% of the population (WA50) ranged from 0.78 to 0.93 when nematodes were not adapted to desiccation stress and from 0.66 to 0.88 when preadapted to desiccation stress. The six most desiccation tolerant strains of non-adapted and adapted nematode populations were crossed. Preadapted tolerance of hybrids was superior to the tolerance of parental strains, whereas non-adapted tolerance was not increased. The most tolerant hybrid had a WA50 when preadapted of 0.67 and 0.86 when not adapted. The tolerance was lost after few reproductive cycles in the insect Galleria mellonella but was recovered again after six selection cycles with exposure to increasing stress conditions. Virulence and reproduction potential was not negatively affected by the selection. Stabilisation of the selection progress will be a major challenge to enable commercial exploitation of the genetic improvement.