Breeding of the herbifagic insect<em> Tarachidia candefacta</em> Hubn. on an artificial nutrient medium to suppress the development of Ambrosia artemisiifolia L plants

Abstract

Ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia L.) is an invasive plant species from the American continent, which has actively penetrated plant communities, displacing local species of cultivated and weed vegetation. The uncontrolled development and widespread distribution of ragweed in the South of Russia are associated with the absence of natural enemies of this weed. Ragweed is not only a competitor of cultivated and weed plants but also causes allergic diseases. The ragweed moth (Tarachidia candefacta Hbn.) was imported from Canada as a biological agent to control ragweed's development and distribution. We used the mass release of herbiphage into agrocenoses during the emergence of ragweed, which implies an artificial shift in the phenophase of the bioagent, which was achieved by early mass dilution on an artificial nutrient medium (ANM) under laboratory conditions. To cultivate the ragweed moth, the ANM was improved by adding powdered milk as a source of protein and vitamins to the composition, which made it possible to improve the quality of the environment and improve the biological indicators of the development of the bioagent. Replacement of wheat germ with soybean meal in ANM made it possible to obtain a feed balanced in protein and amino acid composition for growing herbiphage. As a result of the research, a method of colonization of the ragweed moth was developed, based on the early mass cultivation of herbiphage on an improved formulation of ANM and the release of T. candefacta at the beginning of the growing season of the weed, which allowed to suppress its growth by half.