Production of virus occlusion bodies that occlude virions comprising genomes of different species of baculoviruses that can be used to combat insect pests

Abstract

Production of virus occlusion bodies that occlude virions comprising genomes of different species of baculoviruses that can be used to combat insect pests. A method is presented for the production of occlusion derived virions (ODVs) that simultaneously comprise genomes of different baculovirus species, occluded in a viral occlusion body (OB) with the structural and morphological features characteristic of baculoviruses. Mixed genome ODVs and OBs can be produced by co-infecting insect cells or insect hosts using two or more different baculoviruses species. Co-infection may be achieved by simultaneous inoculation of the different baculoviruses or with a time interval between inoculations, which results in different proportions of each species' genomes in the ODVs and OBs that are produced. The produced OBs can be used either directly for preparing an insecticide, or to infect susceptible insects to produce larger quantities of mixed genome ODVs and OBs, also useful for combating pest insects.