Abstract
Growth and propagation of Steinernema feltiae (DD-136) on the media prepared by homogenates of chicken liver (LH medium) and intestine (IH medium) were investigated for up to 60 days after being inoculated with ca.500 infective juveniles (Jiiis) per test tube (18mm in dia. and 180mm in lenght). The nematode propagated more rapidly on LH than IH media, however, the population of DD-136 was higher on IH than LH media after 20 day's incubation at 25°C. The peak population of Jiils was recorded 30 days after inoculation; ca.940, 000 on LH and ca. 1, 900, 000 on IH media. On the media prepared by mixing chicken liver and intestine at the rates of 10: 0, 5: 5, 1: 9, and 0: 10, the nematode rapidly propagated on the media containing more liver, though the final yield of nematode was higher on the media containing more intestine. The population of DD-136 increased very slowly on the media prepared by filtrates of intestine homogenates. Compared to the population of DD-136 on the media in test tube, the nematodes propagated more rapidly in petri dish (6cm in dia.) containing the same volume of medium. On 30 days after inoculation, the populations of three species of steinernematids on IH were about double as large as those on LH media. The number of JIIIs of S. feltiae (DD-136), S. feltiae (Mexican), S. bibionis, and S. glaseri propagated on IH medium in petri dish (6cm in dia.) were 4, 210, 000, 3, 300, 000, 2, 160, 000, and 210, 000, respectively.
