Table 2 Influence of different concentrations of K. pneumoniae and P. paralactis on food consumption and utilization of S. litura larvae

K. pneumoniae

Control

0.33 ± 0.040^b

34.56 ± 0.83^c

1.82 ± 0.24^b

8.04 ± 0.86^b

95.51 ± 1.28^c

3.2 × 10⁸

0.23 ± 0.008^a

29.02 ± 1.88^bc

1.50 ± 0.19^ab

8.33 ± 0.93^b

91.61 ± 0.37^bc

8.2 × 10⁸

0.25 ± 0.006^a

27.02 ± 1.01^bc

1.31 ± 0.18^ab

6.53 ± 0.46^ab

91.39 ± 0.81^bc

1.9 × 10⁹

0.23 ± 0.01^a

18.09 ± 4.26^ab

1.24 ± 0.15^ab

4.47 ± 0.67^a

90.32 ± 1.21^b

3.6 × 10⁹

0.25 ± 0.002^a

13.58 ± 4.32^a

0.89 ± 0.06^a

4.45 ± 0.57^a

87.18 ± 0.70^ab

5.8 × 10⁹

0.22 ± 0.01^a

10.51 ± 3.50^a

0.88 ± 0.05^a

4.45 ± 0.57^a

84.66 ± 1.70^a

F-value

5.19**

9.90**

4.73**

6.90**

11.69**

P. paralactis

Control

0.33 ± 0.040^b

34.56 ± 0.83^c

1.82 ± 0.24^b

8.04 ± 0.86^b

95.51 ± 1.28^b

2.4 × 10⁸

0.25 ± 0.010^a

33.19 ± 0.61^bc

0.83 ± 0.02^a

4.15 ± 0.72^a

91.76 ± 1.44^ab

6.8 × 10⁸

0.25 ± 0.006^a

29.02 ± 1.88^ab

0.88 ± 0.05^a

4.45 ± 0.57^a

91.39 ± 0.81^ab

1.4 × 10⁹

0.25 ± 0.005^a

29.15 ± 0.84^ab

0.88 ± 0.01^a

4.49 ± 0.31^a

91.69 ± 0.65^ab

3.2 × 10⁹

0.23 ± 0.017^a

27.02 ± 1.01^a

0.80 ± 0.04^a

4.47 ± 0.67^a

90.12 ± 1.17^ab

5.0 × 10⁹

0.21 ± 0.010^a

27.55 ± 1.23^a

0.76 ± 0.02^a

3.75 ± 0.39^a

84.74 ± 3.57^a

F-value

4.88**

7.22**

14.95**

6.39**

3.88**