Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
A Review of Biopesticides
and Their Mode of Action Against
Insect Pests
Sengottayan Senthil-Nathan
Abstract
Biopesticides, including entomopathogenic viruses, bacteria, fungi, nema-
todes, and plant secondary metabolites, are gaining increasing importance
as they are alternatives to chemical pesticides and are a major component
of many pest control programs. The virulence of various biopesticides
such as nuclear polyhedrosis virus (NPV), bacteria, and plant product
were tested under laboratory conditions very successfully and the selected
ones were also evaluated under fi eld conditions with major success.
Biopesticide products (including benefi cial insects) are now available
commercially for the control of pest and diseases. The overall aim of
biopesticide research is to make these biopesticide products available at
farm level at an affordable price, and this would become a possible tool in
the integrated pest management strategy. Moreover, biopesticide research
is still going on and further research is needed in many aspects including
bioformulation and areas such as commercialization. There has been a
substantial renewal of commercial interest in biopesticides as demon-
strated by the considerable number of agreements between pesticide com-
panies and bioproduct companies which allow the development of effective
biopesticides in the market. This paper has reviewed the important and
basic defection of major biopesticides in the past. The future prospects for
the development of new biopesticides are also discussed.
1
Introduction
1.1
Biopesticides
Biopesticides are developed from naturally occur-
ring living organisms such as animals, plants, and
microorganisms (e.g., bacteria, fungi, and viruses)
that can control serious plant-damaging insect
pests by their nontoxic eco-friendly mode of
 
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