author(s)
Rabeena I, Ganapathy N, Nakeeran S and Srinivasan MR

abstract
Laboratory study was carried out during 2014-2015 to screen a total of ten bacterial strains (Bacillus subtilis VB1 and KA3, B. tequelensis, B. cereus, B. amyloliquefaciens, Ocrobactrum sp, Paenibacillus sp, B. pumilus, B. methylotrophicus, B. megaterium) that are commonly used for pest/disease control were prepared at 1×10⁸ spores /ml concentration and bioassays were conducted both by leaf dip and larval dip of third instar larvae, and a control. Among the ten bacterial strains using the leaf dip method, the highest mean cumulative mortality in 72 h was shown by B. subtilis isolates VB1 (56.67%) followed by KA3 (46.67%). Whereas in larval dip method, the highest mean cumulative mortality at 72 h was caused by B. subtilis isolates VB1 (30.00%) followed by isolate KA3 (23.33%).