Field Application of SeMNPV (Spodoptera exigua Multiple Nucleopolyhedrovirus) for Controlling Spodoptera exigua on Shallot and Scallion in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam

Authors

  • Xuan Trinh Thi

    Plant Protection Department, College of Agriculture, Can Tho University, Can Tho City 900000, Vietnam
  • Lien Truong Thanh Xuan

    Southern Fruit Research Institute, Long Dinh Commune, Dong Thap 84000, Vietnam
  • Son Pham Kim

    Plant Protection Department, College of Agriculture, Can Tho University, Can Tho City 900000, Vietnam

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30564/re.v8i1.12493
Received: 17 October 2025 | Revised: 26 November 2025 | Accepted: 3 December 2025 | Published Online: 30 December 2025

Abstract

Shallot and scallion are among the essential horticultural crops in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam, and their yields and quality are affected by the beet armyworm, Spodoptera exigua. To control this pest, farmers have used a large number of insecticides, which has led to resistance due to continuous use and environmental harm, thereby increasing interest in biological methods, including the Spodoptera exigua multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (SeMNPV). The study aims to assess the efficacy of the liquid and powder formulation of SeMNPV against Spodoptera exigua under the actual agricultural conditions of Soc Trang (Shallot) and Vinh Long provinces (Scallion). The experimental arrangement used four treatments: SeMNPV liquid, SeMNPV powder, Radiant 60SC (a chemical insecticide), and the control. Some of the factors evaluated were larval density, level of leaf damage, yield, and natural enemies attack. The SeMNPV powder had the least damage, only 0.97 per cent (damage of plant), and a yield of 28.59 t/ha, and was almost equally good as the Radiant 60SC, which produced a damage of 2.53 per cent (damage of plant) and a yield of 29.41 t/ha. SeMNPV treatments significantly reduced larval numbers (down to fewer than 10 larvae/m2 by day 40) and enhanced natural enemies, parasitoids, and microsporidia. The untreated one had the highest damage (8.03%), while the yield was lowest at 19.61 t/ha. Therefore, SeMNPV in powder form has the potential to control S. exigua infestations and to encourage biological control, making it a favourable, environmentally friendly addition to synthetic insecticides in the cultivation of shallot and scallion.

Keywords:

Beet Armyworm; Spodoptera exigua; Multiple Nucleopolyhedrovirus; Shallot; Scallion

References

[1] Nguyen, N.-V.T., Nguyen, K.-N.H., Duong, T.-N., et al., 2022. Evaluation of pesticide residues in vegetables from Mekong Delta, Vietnam using LC-MS/MS. Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research. 20(7), 1497–1504. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4314/tjpr.v20i7.24

[2] Phan, K.D., Nguyen, T.C., Pham, D.T., et al., 2024. Report on land use analysis for 13 provinces in Vietnamese Mekong Delta in 2022. Can Tho University: Can Tho, Vietnam. Available from: https://hdl.handle.net/10568/151791

[3] Loan, N.T.T., Tung, D.T., Ha, N.T.N., et al., 2024. Application of the logistics chain approach in analyzing the value chain of shallots: The case of Tra Vinh province, Vietnam. Tra Vinh University Journal of Science. 14(4), 9–19. DOI: https://doi.org/10.35382/tvujs.14.4.2024.88

[4] Wahyuni, S., Kustiari, R., Hestina, J., et al., 2021. Shallot penetration in the export market. In Proceedings of the International Conference on Agriculture and Applied Science 2020. DOI: https://doi.org/10.25181/icoaas.v1i1.2194

[5] Ahmad, A., 2023. Use of integrated management approaches to control Spodoptera exigua (beet armyworm): A review. Journal of Life and Social Sciences. 2023(1), 10.

[6] Rovicky, A., Widowati, W., Astutik, A., 2024. Pest and disease control strategies to increase the productivity of shallot plants (Allium ascalonicum L.). Riwayat: Educational Journal of History and Humanities. 7(3), 1253–1260.

[7] Kaveney, B., Barrett-Lennard, E., Minh, K.C., et al., 2023. Inland dry season saline intrusion in the Vietnamese Mekong River Delta is driving the identification and implementation of alternative crops to rice. Agricultural Systems. 207, 103632.

[8] Hafeez, M., Ullah, F., Khan, M.M., et al., 2022. Metabolic-based insecticide resistance mechanism and ecofriendly approaches for controlling beet armyworm Spodoptera exigua: A review. Environmental Science and Pollution Research. 29(2), 1746–1762.

[9] Zhou, S., Zhang, J., Lin, Y., et al., 2023. Spodoptera exigua multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus increases the susceptibility to insecticides: A promising efficient way for pest resistance management. Biology. 12(2), 260.

[10] Wang, X., Yang, X., Zhou, L., et al., 2022. Population genetics unveils large-scale migration dynamics and population turnover of Spodoptera exigua. Pest Management Science. 78(2), 612–625.

[11] Nguyen, C.T., Vo, T.T., Nguyen, T.X., et al., 2022. Assessment of pesticide residues in organic rice production in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. European Journal of Development Studies. 2(3), 1–11.

[12] Dirikumo, B.O., 2023. Ecological risk assessment of pesticide use in rice farming in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam [Master’s Thesis]. Stockholms Universitet: Stockholm, Sweden.

[13] Ahmad, M., Farid, A., Saeed, M., 2018. Resistance to new insecticides and their synergism in Spodoptera exigua (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) from Pakistan. Crop Protection. 107, 79–86.

[14] Hussain, A.G., Wennmann, J.T., Goergen, G., et al., 2021. Viruses of the fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda: A review with prospects for biological control. Viruses. 13(11), 2220.

[15] Luo, M., Lin, J., Zhou, X., et al., 2022. Study on physical properties of four pH-responsive Spodoptera exigua multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (SeMNPV) microcapsules as controlled release carriers. Scientific Reports. 12(1), 21873.

[16] Nguyen Mai, H., Le, T.T., Giles, J., et al., 2023. Climate Risk & Vulnerability (CR&V) Assessment for Climate Services: Rice Production and Value Chain—Mekong River Delta, Viet Nam. International Center for Tropical Agriculture: Hanoi, Vietnam.

[17] Dang, A.N., 2022. Parameterising and adapting ecosystem service models in data sparse regions: Gaps, guidelines, and an application in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta [PhD Thesis]. Te Herenga Waka–Victoria University of Wellington: Wellington, New Zealand.

[18] European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), Alvarez, F., Arena, M., et al., 2021. Peer review of the pesticide risk assessment of the active substance Spodoptera exigua multicapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus (SeMNPV). EFSA Journal. 19(10), e06848.

[19] Hunter-Fujita, F.R., Entwistle, P.F., Evans, H.F., et al., 1998. Insect Viruses and Pest Management. John Wiley & Sons: Chichester, UK. pp. xii–620.

[20] Gelaye, Y., Negash, B., 2023. The role of baculoviruses in controlling insect pests: A review. Cogent Food & Agriculture. 9(1), 2254139.

[21] Lee, S., Lee, D.K., 2018. What is the proper way to apply the multiple comparison test? Korean Journal of Anesthesiology. 71(5), 353–360.

[22] Yan, G., Wang, H., Lv, J., et al., 2022. Surface modification of nucleopolyhedrovirus with polydopamine to improve its properties. Pest Management Science. 78(2), 456–466.

[23] Moldovan, C., Frumuzachi, O., Babotă, M., et al., 2022. Therapeutic uses and pharmacological properties of shallot (Allium ascalonicum): A systematic review. Frontiers in Nutrition. 9, 903686.

[24] Dai, H., Zhang, W., 2018. A quantitative study on development, fecundity and mortality of beet armyworm Spodoptera exigua (Hübner) infected by SeMNPV. Arthropods. 7(1), 26–30.

[25] Mengual Martí, A., 2024. Shaping from the Shadows: Direct and Indirect Effects of Covert Infections with an RNA Virus in the Lepidopteran Pest, Spodoptera exigua. FAO AGRIS: Rome, Italy.

[26] Poveda, J., 2021. Trichoderma as biocontrol agent against pests: New uses for a mycoparasite. Biological Control. 159, 104634.

[27] Baker, B.P., Green, T.A., Loker, A.J., 2020. Biological control and integrated pest management in organic and conventional systems. Biological Control. 140, 104095.

[28] Mawcha, K.T., Malinga, L., Muir, D., et al., 2024. Recent advances in biopesticide research and development with a focus on microbials. F1000Research. 13, 1071.

[29] Hamid, H., Yanti, Y., Haryanda, F., 2024. Application effect of rhizobacteria Bacillus strain on plant growth and pest insects in shallot plantation (Allium ascalonicum L.). In IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science. IOP Publishing: Bristol, UK.

[30] Moore, S., Jukes, M., 2019. Advances in microbial control in IPM: Entomopathogenic viruses. In Integrated Management of Insect Pests. Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing: Cambridge, UK. pp. 593–648.

[31] Vermeire, M.-L., Thiour-Mauprivez, C., De Clerck, C., 2024. Agroecological transition: Towards a better understanding of the impact of ecology-based farming practices on soil microbial ecotoxicology. FEMS Microbiology Ecology. 100(4), fia031.

[32] Mohapatra, S., 2023. Evaluation of Various Pest Management Modules for Insect Pest Complex in Okra, Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench. Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology: Bhubaneswar, India.

[33] Erler, S., Eckert, J.H., Steinert, M., et al., 2022. Impact of microorganisms and entomopathogenic nematodes used for plant protection on solitary and social bee pollinators. Environmental Pollution. 302, 119051.

[34] Barros, E., Lezar, S., Anttonen, M.J., et al., 2010. Comparison of two GM maize varieties with a near-isogenic non-GM variety using transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics. Plant Biotechnology Journal. 8(4), 436–451.

[35] Fukuzawa, N., Ishihara, T., Itchoda, N., et al., 2011. Risk-managed production of bioactive recombinant proteins using a novel plant virus vector with a helper plant to complement viral systemic movement. Plant Biotechnology Journal. 9(1), 38–49.

[36] Teixidó, N., Usall, J., Torres, R., 2022. Insight into a successful development of biocontrol agents: Production, formulation, packaging, and shelf life as key aspects. Horticulturae. 8(4), 305.

Downloads

How to Cite

Thi, X. T., Xuan, L. T. T., & Kim, S. P. (2025). Field Application of SeMNPV (Spodoptera exigua Multiple Nucleopolyhedrovirus) for Controlling Spodoptera exigua on Shallot and Scallion in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Research in Ecology, 8(1), 40–51. https://doi.org/10.30564/re.v8i1.12493

Issue

Vol.8, Iss.1 (February 2026)(in progress)

Article Type

Article

License

Copyright © 2025 Xuan Trinh Thi, Lien Truong Thanh Xuan, Son Pham Kim

Creative Commons License

This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) License.

Crossref
Scopus
Google Scholar
Europe PMC