Isolation and mass production of entomopathogenic nematode steinernema saimkayai using semi solid dog feed medium

Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) were collected from soil using Galleria mellonella as bait and propagated on Wouts medium as well as new semi-solid feed developed from dog feed. The EPN was isolated from the cucumber soil from Kadayar, Thadiyoor, Kerala for the Mass production. The strains collected were identified as Steinernema siamkayai KUT1 and the symbiont bacteria identified as Xenorhabdus stockiae using advanced DNA sequencing method. Nematodes were grown on two different sets of medium viz., Wouts medium on sponge and Semi-solid dog feed in T-flasks. The Steinernema siamkayai KUT1 grown increasingly in semi-solid dog feed medium than other medium. This research suggests that EPN can be used to for the inhibition of malarial parasites in open stagnant water bodies. Breeding grounds for this species could be controlled efficiently using EPNs. Our research concludes the use of newly modified semi solid Dog feed medium containing essential nutrients can be safe and cheap enough for the mass production of EPN.