Chapter 15 - Microbial biopesticides: Current status and advancement for sustainable agriculture and environment

Abstract

Global increase in the population and degradation of environment possess a challenge to crop production worldwide and it is a need of hour to find solutions for abiotic stress, pests, and pathogens. Eco-friendly approach of management by using biopesticides is an alternative against synthetic chemicals. Biopesticides means biological method of control by entanglement and maneuvering of living organisms. Biopesticides comprises microbial pesticides, biochemical pesticides, and plant-incorporated protectants (PIPs). Microbial biopesticides are the products obtained from microorganisms which are beneficial and can be applied against plant diseases and insect pests responsible to cause damage to agricultural crops year after year. Microbial pesticides can play an important role for crop protection in the agricultural-based economy of the world. It is crucial now to popularize the use of these microbial biopesticides among the farmers worldwide. Entomopathogenic bacteria consist of Bacillaceae, Burkholderia, Chromobacterium, Pseudomonas, Saccharopolyspora, Serratia, Streptomyces, and Yersinia species, whereas fungi include various strains of Metarhizium anisopliae, Beauveria bassiana, Hirsutella, Isaria, Lecanicillium, Paecilomyces and Verticillium species. Baculoviruses (insect pathogenic viruses) are species-specific and active against chewing and biting insects, primarily against Lepidopteran caterpillars. Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) include two genera Steinernema and Heterorhabditis showing mutualistic symbiotic association with bacteria Xenorhabdus and Photorhabdus. Biopesticides sources easily exist in nature, are naturally biodegradable, show different modes of action, less expensive, and possess less toxicity to living organisms.