Helicoverpa

Nucleopolyhedrovirus (NPV) has become an integral part of integrated pest management
(IPM) in many Australian agricultural and horticultural crops. This is the culmination of years of work
conducted by researchers at the Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (QDPI&F)
and Ag Biotech Australia Pty Ltd. In the early 1970’s researchers at QDPI&F identified and isolated a
virus in Helicoverpa armigera populations in the field. This NPV was extensively studied and shown
to be highly specific to Helicoverpa and Heliothis species. Further work showed that when used
appropriately the virus could be used effectively to manage these insects in crops such as sorghum,
cotton, chickpea and sweet corn. A similar virus was first commercially produced in the USA in the
1970’s. This product, Elcar®, was introduced into Australia in the late 1970’s by Shell Chemicals with
limited success. A major factor contributing to the poor adoption of Elcar was the concurrent
enormous success of the synthetic pyrethroids. The importance of integrated pest management was
probably also not widely accepted at that time. Gradual development of insect resistance to synthetic
pyrethroids and other synthetic insecticides in Australia and the increased awareness of the importance
of IPM meant that researchers once again turned their attentions to environmentally friendly pest
management tools such NPV and beneficial insects. In the 1990’s a company called Rhone-Poulenc
registered an NPV for use in Australian sorghum, chickpea and cotton. This product, Gemstar®, was
imported from the USA. In 2000 Ag Biotech Australia established an in-vivo production facility in
Australia to produce commercial volumes of a product similar to the imported product. This product
was branded, ViVUS®, and was first registered and sold commercially in Australia in 2003. The initial
production of ViVUS used a virus identical to the American product but replicating it in an Australian
Helicoverpa species, H. armigera. Subsequent research collaboration between QDPI&F and Ag
Biotech reinvigorated interest in the local virus strain. This was purified and the production system
adapted to produce it on a commercial scale. This new version of ViVUS, which was branded ViVUS
Gold®, was first registered and sold commercially in 2004. Widespread insect resistance to insecticides
and a greater understanding of integrated pest management is leading to increased adoption of
technologies such as NPV in Australian agriculture.