Entomopathogenic Fungi and their Potential Role in the Sustainable Biological Control of Storage Pests

Abstract

Chemical control methods are mostly preferred in the control of pests that cause qualitative and quantitative losses in stored products instead of physical or biological control applications. The increasing consumer response to pesticide use and the insect resistance to many pesticides have reversed this situation and interest in biological control has increased. Entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) are biological control agents that are safer than synthetic pesticides. EPF play major roles in the natural regulation of many insect and mite species. Sustainable Biological Control with EPF could make a substantial contribution to the control of storage pests. When storage pests’ interactions are complex with EPF, we can notice both positive and negative impacts. EPF disrupts the host cuticle and proliferates as hyphae in the hemolymph, secreting toxins responsible for the death of host insects. Subsequent saprophytic growth leads to the production of fungal spores that can reinfect other hosts. For a successful infection, the fungus must be effective on the host's defense system. In order to determine the optimum conditions of myco-insecticides in biological control programs, specific research is required to understand the interaction between EPF, host insects, crops, and their environment. This review includes an overview of EPF, its host defense mechanism, pathogenicity, infection occurrence, the potential for use, and prospects. Furthermore, this review extensively investigates the contribution of EPF to biological control in sustainable agricultural practices.