Biopesticide Market Research Articles

Optimized microwave-assisted azadirachtin extraction using response surface methodology

The neem tree (Azadirachta indica A. Juss) is grown mainly for shade, fuel, and numerous non-timber forest products using its leaves, fruit, and bark. It produces an essential oil that is used as a source for obtaining bioinsecticides, with a broad spectrum of action in agricultural production. Its bioinsecticidal activity is due to the presence of triterpenes, such as azadirachtin, a product in continued growth of the global biopesticide market. Optimal conditions for neem oil extraction using response surface methodology (RSM) and microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) methods have been defined. However, the extraction conditions for these methods tend to consume high volumes of organic solvent and long extraction times. The aim of the present study is to determine the optimal conditions for the extraction of azadirachtin from neem seeds in a hydroalcoholic medium using MAE and RSM with a Box-Behnken design (BBD). A BBD was applied to evaluate the effects of the factors, magnetron voltage (X1), extraction time (X2), and pH of the extraction medium (X3), on the yield of the azadirachtin extraction process. The effect of each variable on the extraction yield was studied independently, considering the pure coefficients (linear and quadratic) on the three levels that were studied in the experiments. Moreover, the study experiments were conducted in triplicate, data were presented as mean and standard deviation, homogeneity of variances was estimated using Levene's test, and a two-way ANOVA with Tukey's post hoc analysis was performed to identify the experimental conditions that allowed us to find the highest extraction yield and to analyze whether the response surface model adequately described our data. The most significant effects of the model correspond to quadratic and interaction effects (p < 0.0001); the quadratic terms voltage (X1), extraction time (X2), and pH (X3); and the interaction effects between voltage-pH (X1*X3) and time-pH (X2*X3), which had a significant influence on the model. Moreover, a canonical analysis was performed. The optimal conditions were as follows: 69.22 V, 6.89 min, and a pH value of 4.35, coinciding with the zones shown in the contour plots. Furthermore, the response obtained at the optimal conditions was 37.5 μg of azadirachtin per gram of pretreated seed.

Production and characterization of Trichoderma asperellum chitinases and their use in synergy with Bacillus thuringiensis for lepidopteran control.

Despite their known negative effects on ecosystems and human health, synthetic pesticides are still largely used to control crop insect pests. Currently, the biopesticide market for insect biocontrol mainly relies on the entomopathogenic bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). New biocontrol tools for crop protection might derive from fungi, in particular from Trichoderma spp., which are known producers of chitinases and other bioactive compounds able to negatively affect insect survival. In this study, we first developed an environmentally sustainable production process for obtaining chitinases from Trichoderma asperellum ICC012. Then, we investigated the biological effects of this chitinase preparation - alone or in combination with a Bt-based product - when orally administered to two lepidopteran species. Our results demonstrate that T. asperellum efficiently produces a multi-enzymatic cocktail able to alter the chitin microfibril network of the insect peritrophic matrix, resulting in delayed development and larval death. The co-administration of T. asperellum chitinases and sublethal concentrations of Bt toxins increased larval mortality. This synergistic effect was likely due to the higher amount of Bt toxins that passed the damaged peritrophic matrix and reached the target receptors on the midgut cells of chitinase-treated insects. Our findings may contribute to the development of an integrated pest management technology based on fungal chitinases that increase the efficacy of Bt-based products, mitigating the risk of Bt-resistance development. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Complete genome sequences of two Bacillus thuringiensis serovar kurstaki strains isolated from Lebanon and Tunisia, highly toxic against lepidopteran larvae.

Bacillus thuringiensis-based products are key in the biopesticides market. Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki strains Lip and BLB1 were isolated from Lebanese and Tunisian soils, respectively. These strains are highly toxic against lepidopteran larvae, Ephestia kuehniella. Here, we report Lip and BLB1 complete genomes, including their plasmid and toxin contents.

Lessons Learned and Challenges of Biopesticide Usage for Locust Management—The Case of China

Using qualitative methods, this study assessed the stakeholders and management processes involved in locust outbreaks in China, including factors influencing the use of biopesticides. Study findings show that China has an integrated national locust response protocol, which involves various institutions from all administrative levels of the government. The process is inherently highly complex but efficient, with multisectoral agencies working closely together to prevent and/or manage locust outbreaks. In addition, the process has been successful in combating recent outbreaks, due to dedicated government funding, decisive administrative and technical actions, and the empowerment of local government administration. This is the case with the county level acting as a ‘first-responder’ that is capacitated financially and technically to respond to a locust invasion in their jurisdiction. Additionally, study findings show that despite the availability of biopesticides in local markets, their use is dampened by inadequate information about market availability, negative perceptions by decision makers about their efficacy, and concerns about their costs, as well as limited knowledge of their application techniques. Actions are therefore needed by relevant authorities to enhance stakeholder awareness of biopesticide market availability, efficacy, and field application processes. Future areas of research should focus on modelling the expected impact and cost effectiveness of chemicals vs. biopesticides, thus increasing the evidence base for promoting biopesticide use.

Status of the biopesticide market and prospects for new bioherbicides.

Biopesticides (commonly called Biocontrol or more recently bioprotection) have been experiencing double digit growth and now comprise about 10% of the global pesticide market driven by increased return on investment, restrictions on chemical pesticides, and pesticide resistance and residue management. However, despite the large need for new herbicides due to widespread and increasing resistance to herbicides with almost most of the chemical modes of action, bioherbicides are an insignificant percentage of the total. The technical difficulty in finding bioherbicides that can compete with the spectrum and price of chemical herbicides has left agriculture with a paucity of new bioherbicides. Billions of dollars of investment capital is being invested in new, innovative startups, but only a small number focus on bioherbicide discovery and development, due to the perceived higher risk than plant biotech, biostimulants, bionutrients and other categories of biopesticides. However, the exciting new technologies that these startups are developing such as RNAi, sterile pollen, and systemic metabolites have potential to impact the market in ten years or less. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

A Study on Biopesticides Market in Telangana

Biopesticides are a crucial component of integrated pest management programs for pest control. In India, so far only 12 types of biopesticides have been registered under the Insecticide Act, 1968. The present study entitled 'A study on biopesticides market in Telangana’ was intended to examine the marketing mix and BCG Matrix for selected biopesticide companies, awareness towards biopesticides. The results revealed that K N Bioscience company, Pratibha Biotech company and Varsha Bioscience company biopesticide products are useful for all crops and these companies products are mostly available in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Gujarat region. The prices of chemical pesticides in all categories are more than the price of biopesticides whereas the price difference ranges between Rs 230 to Rs 680. The BCG analysis shows that Verchi power and Paci-N power products of K N Bioscience company fall in the stars quadrant, Biostrom and Shock products of Varsha Bioscience company fall under the question marks quadrant, CID, Pro-kill and De-bug are the products of Pratibha Biotech company fall in cash cow quadrant. VBT and Toxin products of Varsha Bioscience company fall under the dog's quadrant.

Current status and prospects of the use of biofungicides against plant diseases

Plant pathogenic microorganisms cause great damage to the yield of agricultural crops and also reduce their commercial quality. This article highlights information on the level of damage caused to agricultural crops by pests, as well as the development of organic agriculture, which in recent years has received great attention in many developed countries. In addition, the data from literature were analyzed on the current state and problems of production of pesticides in the world and their use in agriculture, the use of biofungicides against plant diseases. The importance of synthetic pesticides, as well as, controlling the use of synthetic fungicides, and the use of alternative biofungicides in their replacement were also revealed. The article concludes on the need for public reforms and the role of systematic scientific research in creating a local biopesticides market.

Advances in Entomopathogen Isolation: A Case of Bacteria and Fungi.

Entomopathogenic bacteria and fungi are quite frequently found in soils and insect cadavers. The first step in utilizing these microbes as biopesticides is to isolate them, and several culture media and insect baiting procedures have been tested in this direction. In this work, the authors review the current techniques that have been developed so far, in the last five decades, and display brief protocols which can be adopted for the isolations of these entomopathogens. Among bacteria, this review focuses on Serratia spp. and bacteria from the class Bacilli. Among fungi, the review focuses those from the order Hypocreales, for example, genera Beauveria, Clonostachys, Lecanicillium, Metarhizium, and Purpureocillium. The authors chose these groups of entomopathogenic bacteria and fungi based on their importance in the microbial biopesticide market.

Morphological and Pcr Differentiation between some Phages from Bacillus thuringiensis Strain C18

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)-based pesticides hold the biggest share of the biopesticides market. This industry suffers huge economic losses due to the activation of their lysogenic phages during fermentation process. The locally isolated wide-spectrum BtaC18 is currently used for commercial production and found to harbors many of these integrated prophages. Many phages were isolated from a laboratory-grown BtaC18; from amongst them three belonged to the order Caudovirales were characterized. Traditional and morphological examination found that one of the three viruses has tail: ACTP-01 and two are non-tailed phages: ACTP-02 and ACTP-03. The ACTP-01 phage showed an isometric head (92.6 nm) with long non-contractile, flexible tail (321.33 x 12.5 nm). While, the ACTP-02 phage has a hexagonal head (50.82 nm) and the ACTP-03 phage possesses an icosahedral head (61.3 nm). Data suggested that ACTP-01 phage belongs to Siphoviridae family,while ACTP-02 and ACTP-03 belonged to the Tectiviridae family. Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA polymerase chain reaction (RAPD-PCR) showed a strong differentiating power between the isolated phages. In conclusion, the numerous phages hosted by this bacterium complicate the derivatization of phage resistant BtaC18 strain.

Trichoderma harzianum‐based novel formulations: potential applications for management of Next‐Gen agricultural challenges

AbstractFungi of the Trichoderma spp. genus, notably Trichoderma harzianum, are commonly used for biological management of deleterious seed‐ and soil‐borne pathogens. The global biopesticides market is booming with a major share of various commercial formulations of T. harzianum. However, there are some major drawbacks associated with these commercial formulations including short shelf life, low on‐field stability and irregular performance in different agro‐climatic regions. For effectively resolving these issues, new strategies are urgently required for efficient management of pathogens. The present review provides an overview of the use of Trichoderma spp., with special emphasis on T. harzianum, and discusses future trends for biological control. Technologies are described for the microencapsulation of fungi and for the biogenic synthesis of nanoparticles, with the aim of improving the biological control of pathogens and contributing to sustainable agricultural practices. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry

Current status and perspectives of fungal entomopathogens used for microbial control of arthropod pests in Brazil.

Entomopathogenic fungi play a central role in Brazil's biopesticide market. Approximately 50% of registered microbial biopesticides comprise mycoinsecticides and/or mycoacaricides consisting of hypocrealean fungi, with most based on Metarhizium anisopliae sensu stricto (s. str.) and Beauveria bassiana s. str. These fungi are mainly used to control spittlebugs in sugarcane fields and whiteflies in row crops, respectively, with annual applications surpassing three million hectares. Research also emphasizes the potential of fungal entomopathogens to manage arthropod vectors of human diseases. Most registered fungal formulations comprise wettable powders or technical (non-formulated) products, with relatively few new developments in formulation technology. Despite the large area treated with mycoinsecticides (i.e., approx. 2 million ha of sugarcane treated with M. anisopliae and 1.5 million ha of soybean treated with B. bassiana), their market share remains small compared with the chemical insecticide market. Nevertheless, several major agricultural companies are investing in fungus-based products with the aim at achieving more sustainable IPM programs for major pests in both organic and conventional crops. Government and private research groups are pursuing innovative technologies for mass production, formulation, product stability and quality control, which will support cost-effective commercial mycoinsecticides. Here, we summarize the status of mycoinsecticides currently available in Brazil and discuss future prospects.

An Analysis of the Biopesticide Market Now and Where it is Going

An Analysis of the Biopesticide Market Now and Where it is Going

BACILLUS THURINGIENSIS: THE BIOCONTROL AGENT IN A FOOD WEB PERSPECTIVE

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is a facultative anaerobic, motile, gram-positive, spore-forming soil bacterium. The spores have parasporal inclusions made of different insecticidal crystal proteins (ICP), predominantly comprising one or more Cry and ⁄ or Cyt proteins (also known as δ-endotoxins) that have potent and specific insecticidal activity. The insecticidal properties of Bt have been known for over a century and commercial products based on this organism have been available for 70 years, occupying >90% of the biopesticide market. The microbe formulations have great potential in IPM programmes as has become the leading biopesticide in commercial agriculture, forest management and mosquito control. This bacterium is also a key source of genes for transgenic expression to provide pest resistance in plants and microorganisms as pest control agents in genetically modified organisms. Bt may persist as a component of the natural microflora after application to an ecosystem. Owing to their specific mode of action, Bt products are unlikely to pose any hazard to vertebrates or to the great majority of nontarget invertebrates. Yet many carnivorous arthropods and other non target organisms come into contact with Bt toxins not via target herbivore, but via nontarget herbivores.. Understanding its role in the ecosystem is crucial in deriving the best out of this great biocontrol agent.

Biopesticide Market Opportunities – Strategic Knowledge Sharing and Networking Event

Biopesticide Market Opportunities – Strategic Knowledge Sharing and Networking Event

Beauveria bassiana:Status, Mode of action, Applications and Safety issues

In the present day perspective with the increasing cost of chemical pesticides along with increasing incidences of pesticide toxicity, application of microbial pesticides holds a good promise of crop protection in and around India. The ability of Beauveria bassiana to antagonize, parasitize and kill insects endorses it as an efficient biocontrol agent. Although B. bassiana has a share in total biopesticide market still ample scope for further development of this superior strain is possible through advertisement among farming community.

Microbial biopesticides: opportunities and challenges.

Abstract Pesticides based on microorganisms and their products have proven to be highly effective, species specific and eco-friendly in nature, leading to their adoption in pest management strategies around the world. The microbial biopesticide market constitutes about 90% of total biopesticides and there is ample scope for further development in agriculture and public health, although there are challenges as well. This article reviews the various microbial biopesticides that are commercially available, the different approaches for their production and development, the recent technological advances and the challenges faced by the microbial biopesticide field in the future.

Social and economic drivers shaping the future of biological control: A Canadian perspective on the factors affecting the development and use of microbial biopesticides

Globally, the use of biopesticides is growing annually while the use of traditional pesticides is on the decline. North America uses the largest percentage of the biopesticide market share at 44%, followed by the EU and Oceania with 20% each, South and Latin American countries with 10%, about 6% in Asia and India. Although biopesticide growth is projected at 10% annually, it is highly variable among the regions constrained by factors such as regulatory hurdles, public and political attitudes, and limitations for market expansion. Microbial biopesticides have been registered in Canada for 35 years, but the number of registrations for commercial, restricted-industry and domestic uses has significantly increased over the past 10 years. The early Canadian biopesticides registered by pest control category were Bacillus thuringiensis in 1972 as the first bioinsecticide, Agrobacterium radiobacter in 1989 as the first biobacteriocide, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides f.sp. malvae in 1992 as the first bioherbicide, and Streptomyces griseoviridis in 1999 as the first biofungicide. Between 1972 and 2008, the Pest Management Regulatory Agency approved registration of 24 microbially active substances with 83 formulations. The majority of the registrations (55/83) occurred since 2000 and at the beginning of 2008 there were 10 new products (a combination of new active substances, strains, formulations, and uses) under regulatory evaluation. This paper examines the evolution of microbial biopesticides in Canada illustrating how the actions of the government, the people, and the industry have led to changes in legislation, policy, and programming that spurred momentum for new microbial pest control products in recent years and created a model system for future microbial biopesticide discovery, development, and implementation that could be adopted throughout the world.

The biopesticide market for global agricultural use

The biopesticide market for global agricultural use

Protein engineering of δ-endotoxins of Bacillus thuringiensisa

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is a valuable environment-friendly biopesticide, which occupies 90% of the world biopesticide market. Its insecticidal properties are attributed to the presence of δ-endotoxins which are synthesized during the sporulation phase of the bacterium. δ-endotoxin or crystal toxin is a multi-domain protein molecule comprising of three distinct domains. Domain I is made of seven α -helices, domain II comprises three antiparallel β sheets, which are folded into loops and domain III is made of a β sandwich of two antiparallel β strands. Molecular studies on the structure and functional properties of different δ-endotoxins revealed that the domain I by virtue of its membrane spanning hydrophobic and amphipathic α -helices is capable of forming pores in the cell membranes of the larval midgut. Domain II being hyper variable in nature determines the insecticidal specificity of a toxin and domain III is involved in varied functions like structural stability, ion channel gating, binding to Brush Border Membrane Vesicles and insecticidal specificity. Recent studies on toxin aggregation and interaction revealed that the three domains interact closely to bring about the insecticidal activity of Bt. In this review we describe the protein engineering studies conducted on different δ-endotoxins which led to an understanding of their molecular mode of action and construction of novel toxins with enhanced insecticidal activity and specificity.

Protein engineering of delta-endotoxins of Bacillus thuringiensis

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is a valuable environmentfriendly biopesticide, which occupies 90% of the world biopesticide market. Its insecticidal properties are attributed to the presence of δ-endotoxins which are synthesized during the sporulation phase of the bacterium. δ-endotoxin or crystal toxin is a multidomain protein molecule comprising of three distinct domains. Domain I is made of seven α-helices, domain II comprises three antiparallel β sheets, which are folded into loops and domain III is made of a β sandwich of two antiparallel β strands. Molecular studies on the structure and functional properties of different δ-endotoxins revealed that the domain I by virtue of its membrane spanning hydrophobic and amphipathic α-helices is capable of forming pores in the cell membranes of the larval midgut. Domain II being hyper variable in nature determines the insecticidal specificity of a toxin and domain III is involved in varied functions like structural stability, ion channel gating, binding to Brush Border Membrane Vesicles and insecticidal specificity. Recent studies on toxin aggregation and interaction revealed that the three domains interact closely to bring about the insecticidal activity of Bt. In this review we describe the protein engineering studies conducted on different δ-endotoxins which led to an understanding of their molecular mode of action and construction of novel toxins with enhanced insecticidal activity and specificity.