Baculoviruses as microbial insecticides

Abstract

The use of conventional pesticides lead to a myriad of problems such as environmental pollution, pest resurgence, secondary pest outbreak and many more. The present era is the era of new technologies that are novel, sustainable and environment friendly. Thus, when one talks about plant protection, the techniques that fulfil the above criteria are always welcome. One such technique is the use of microbial insecticides against the major insect-pests. The use of pathogenic microorganisms for pest control is not a new concept, but there have been continuous research and re-evaluations in the ongoing technologies, so as to create more potent products. The necessity of the baculoviruses is indispensable when it comes to managing the pests. This can be proved by the fact that a lot of countries including India have successfully exploited this biopesticide against many pests. The use of the contemporary technology, such as gene incorporation and genetic engineering has made the products much more effective. Baculoviruses are relatively very safe as they cause diseases in the arthropods only and no significant damage has been noted in the non-target population. The prospects of this emerging biopesticide are immense. The use of baculoviruses as potential microbial insecticides is the perfect choice under the current circumstances. Its use will lead agriculture towards precision and sustainability.