Developmental inhibition and DNA damage of Helicoverpa armigera Hübner (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) by gamma radiation

Abstract

Purpose: Gamma radiation on Helicoverpa armigera Hübner was performed to assess developmental inhibition and to identify a potential quarantine treatment dose of the radiation.

Materials and methods: Gamma radiation (⁶⁰Co) treatment at different doses of 50, 100, 200, 300, and 400 Gy was carried out with egg, larvae, pupae and adults of H. armigera.

Results: Gamma radiation induced developmental inhibition of all stages of H. armigera. The effective dose values required for inhibition 99% (ED₉₉) of hatching, pupation and adult emergence from the irradiated eggs were 550.7, 324.9 and 136.4 Gy, respectively. ED₉₉ values for inhibition of the larvae to adult emergence was 200.0 Gy. Irradiation on pupae could not completely inhibit adult emergence even at 400 Gy. ED₉₉ value for inhibition of F₁ egg hatchability from the irradiated adults was estimated to be 229.5 Gy.

Conclusions: This study suggests that gamma radiation is a possible alternative to phytosanitary treatments. Irradiation treatment with minimum dose of 200 Gy can be suggested as optimum dose for larval treatment in quarantine.

Keywords::

• Gamma radiation
• phytosanitary
• quarantine
• developmental inhibition
• cotton bollworm
• comet assay

Acknowledgements

This study was supported by a Grant from Korea Institute of Planning and Evaluation for Technology in Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (iPET) (No. 312045-03-3-HD100). The authors thank Dr KY Lee at Advance Technology Radiation Institute (Jeongup, Korea) for performing dosimetry. JK, SOC, and MJ were supported by the BK21⁺ program, Ministry of Education, Korea. The authors thank two anonymous reviewers for improving the manuscript.

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflict of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.