CYD-X Codling Moth Virus (1 Quart )

CYD-X Codling Moth Virus (1 Quart )

*OMRI listed and approved under the NOP program*

Codling Moth Virus. 2 TBS of CYD-X mixed with 2 gallons of water, sprayed into the canopy of your apple trees controls codling moths. CYD-X infects and kills the larvae of codling moths. Each virus particle is naturally micro-encapsulated within a protein occlusion body (OB) that protects it to some degree from degradation.

CYD-X is a new aqueous suspension concentrate biological insecticide from Advan. It contains a naturally occurring virus that infects and kills larvae of the codling moth, Cydia pomonella. The scientific name for CYD-X is Cydia pomonella granulovirus or CpGV and is also known as the codling moth granulosis virus.

Mode of Action

Each CpGV particle is naturally microencapsulated within a protein occlusion body (OB) that protects it to some degree from degradation. Each OB measures about 400 x 200 nanometers, meaning 4,000 OBs placed end to end would span only about 1/16 inch.

A codling moth larva must ingest OBs in order to become infected with the virus. The highly alkaline environment of the larval digestive tract (where pH can be as high as 10) dissolves the OBs and releases the virus which penetrates the cells lining the midgut. Once inside, the viral DNA “hijacks” the nucleus of the cell, causing it to replicate numerous copies of the virus which rapidly spread the infection to other organs. Within a few days the infected larva stops feeding, becomes sluggish and discolors as its internal organs fill with virus. Upon death the larva “melts,” its fragile outer skin disintegrates to release the liquified remains of its internal organs which contains billions of new virus OBs. Each of these is capable of initiating a new infection if ingested by another codling moth larva feeding at that site or wherever Obs have been deposited by raindrops, gravity or by spraying CYD-X.

Lab studies have determined that a dose of 1 to 2 OB's is all that is required to cause a lethal infection in half of the codling moth larvae tested. A single ounce of CYD-X biological insecticide contains nearly one trillion OB's. Of course not every OB in a CYD-X spray will be ingested by a codling moth larva, but the extremely virulent nature of CpGV toward its host means that it is effective at very low use rates. 

Transmission of GcGV

CPGV occurs naturally in codling moth populations, but usually at levels too low to prevent damaging outbreaks in commercial orchards. The virus can persist for years in protected environments, such as soil and leaf litter on the orchard floor or in tree cavities. Rainfall, wind, cultivation, movement of animals and birds and other physical forces can move OBs into areas, such as foliage and fruit, where they can be ingested by codling moth larvae to begin another cycle of infection. However, the most effective way to initiate CpGV infection is to spray the virus onto the tree in much higher amounts than would otherwise occur naturally.

Once CpGV infection has occurred within a larval generation, there are several ways it can be maintained within the codling moth population. Horizontal transmission occurs when larvae become infected by ingesting virus released into the environment when diseased larvae die. Sometimes infection occurs too late and at too low a dose to kill a larva outright, even though the virus has entered the host cells. A female that survives this sublethal infection may transmit the virus to her offspring, a process known as vertical transmission. In some cases, a latent infection can occur when the virus lies dormant in the codling moth until stress brought on by overwintering, overcrowding, lack of food or insecticide exposure causes an outbreak of virus that kills the host. Latent virus can kill codling moth larvae even years after initial infection.

Host Specificity

CpGV is highly specific to the codling moth. Under artificial conditions in the laboratory, CpGV can also infect two species related to the codling moth: the pea moth (Cydia nigricana) and the false codling moth (Cryptophiebia leucotrete). Neither of these species is found in North America. Similar studies have also suggested that CpGV can infect larvae of the Oriental fruit moth (Grapholita molesta) or OFM, but the evidence is not strong enough to expect that CYD-X or any other CpGV product will also control OFM.

CpGV is non infectious toward beneficial insects, fish, wildlife, livestock or humans.

 Use with Codling Moth traps.

Must be refrigerated.

Unit Ship Weight: 3 lbs. 

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