INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES USING ENDOPHYTIC ENTOMOPATHOGENIC FUNGI

Abstract

Insect pests harm crops severely and disperse a wide range of diseases that are transmitted by insects. Chemical pesticides are frequently used to manage them. Due to their constant usage over many years, insect pests have become increasingly resistant to practically all kinds of chemical pesticides, which has increased the demand for alternatives. For effective and environmentally safe insect pest control, insect pathogenic fungi are seen to be a viable alternative to practically all kinds of conventional pesticides. However, the viability of this strategy is being constrained by the sluggish death rate and necessity of large conidial concentrations. The ability of these fungi to regulate insects has previously been examined, but more recent research has focused on their potential to operate as plant endophytes to protect plants from phytopathogens and enhance other elements of agricultural output. The significance of these entomopathogenic fungi as endophytes in the context of biological control is discussed in this article. Finding local strains of entomopathogenic fungi that can colonise endophytes and their possible utility in the management of disease-causing pests are the main goals of our research for this review.