Abstract:
The development of
resistance to synthetic insecticides is one of
the driving forces for changes in insect pest
management. Governments regulatory
bodies are in favour of environmentally safe
chemicals with low toxicity, short-term
persistence, and limited effects on nontarget
organisms as predominantly
requirements for pesticides registration.
Biological control can be considered as a
powerful tool and one of the most important
alternative control measure providing
environmentally safe and sustainable plant
protection. The success of biological control
will depend on understanding the adaptation
and establishment of applied biological
control agents in agricultural ecosystems.
Microbial pathogens and arthropod
biocontrol agents, entomopathogenic
nematodes (EPNs) have been successfully
used in agricultural systems. They are
highly virulent, killing their hosts quickly
and can be cultured easily in vivo or in vitro.
They are safe for non-target vertebrates and
for the environment, and production costs
have been significantly reduced in recent
times as they are mass produced in liquid
media. Moreover, no difficulties to apply
EPNs as they are easily sprayed using
standard equipment and can be combined
with almost all chemical control
compounds. EPNs are widely used to
control economically important insect pests
in different farming systems: from fruit
orchards, cranberry bogs and turf grass to
nurseries and greenhouses. The use of EPNs
for biocontrol began only in early 1980s and
involved a step-by-step scientific and
technical development. Mass production of
the nematodes played a key role in the
commercially development of insect pests
control with nematodes.
