Fungal Biopesticides and Their Uses for Control of Insect Pest and Diseases

Abstract

Pest control by chemical pesticides is extensively used in most of the countries of the world; however, chemicals are regarded as ecologically unsafe. The growing demands for dropping chemical pesticides in agriculture and augmented resistance to insecticides have afforded huge impetus to the development of another form of insect-pest control. Therefore, there is an increased social pressure to substitute them progressively with biopesticides which are harmless to humans and nontarget organisms. By the arrival of greener approach of developing and using biopesticides, the condition is slowly changing but in fact can shift far more quickly in this track which will be sustainable and ecofriendly. This leads to increased development of compounds based on the models of naturally occurring toxins of biological origin, having various biological activities. Biopesticides comprise a broad range of microbial pesticides, biomolecules derived from microorganisms and other normal sources. The biopesticides also processes by genetic 44modification of plants to express genes encoding insecticidal toxins. Fungal biopesticides are potentially the most adaptable biological control means owing to their broad host range. These fungi comprise a various group of more than 90 genera with approximately 750 species. Fungal biopesticides are naturally occurring organisms which are professed as less damaging to the environment. Although biopesticides are gradually replacing the chemical pesticides, absolute global look at the scenario shows that the former and particularly the industries based on them are silent in an insecure situation in comparison to the chemicals which rule the agriculture. The book chapter revises us regarding the recent progress in the field of fungal biopesticides of insect pests and their probable mechanism of achievement to further enhance our understanding about the natural control of insect pests.