TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title Page  –           –         –         –         –         –         –         –         i

List of Group Members   –         –         –         –         —       –         ii

Table of Contents   –         –         –         –         –         –         –         iii

CHAPTER ONE

Introduction –         –         –         –         –         –         –         1-2

CHAPTER TWO

2.1 Microbial Pesticides   –         –         –         –         –         –         3-4

2.2     Types of Interaction Contributing to Biological

Control of Plant Pest        —       –         –         –         –         5-6

2.2.1 Mutualism –  –         –         –         –         –         –         –         6

2.2.2 Protocooperation    –         –         –         –         –         –         6

2.2.3 Commensalism –     —       –         –         –         –         –         7

2.2.4 Neutralism –  –         —       –         –         –         –         –         7

2.2.5 Antagonism and Competition      –         –         –         –         7-8

2.2.6 Parasitism –   –         –         –         –         –         –         –         8

2.2.7 Predation      –         –         –         –         –         –         –         8-9

CHAPTER THREE

3.0 The Potential Role for Microbial Control of Orchard

Insect Pest In Sustainable Agriculture  –         –         –         10-11

3.1 Advantages of Microbial Control of Orchard Pest in

Sustainable Agriculture    –         –         –         –         –         11-13

3.2 Safety of Microbial Control           –         –         –         –         13-14

3.3 Importance of Micro-Organisms in Control of Plant

Pathogenic Fungi and Insects     –         –         –         –         15

3.3.1  Bacteria        –         –         –         –         –         –         –         15-17

3.3.2  Viruses         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         17-19

3.3.3  Fungi –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         19-24

CHAPTER FOUR

4.0 Conclusion and Recommendation  –         —       –         –         25

4.1     Summary     –         –         –         –         –         –         –         25

4.2 Conclusion       –         –         –         –         –         –         –         26

References

CHAPTER ONE 

1.0     INTRODUCTION

Insects are known since long ages to become infected with different entomopathogenic microorganisms that form an important factor of the natural mortality. In some cases, such pathogens were responsible for the natural outbreaks of specific epidemien among population of certain insect species. Thus, they could play a distinct role in the collapse of an insect population under certain conditions. This phenomenon inspired Bassi (1992) to propose the idea of using the insect pathogenic microorganisms for controlling the agricultural insect pests. The first successful large scale microbial control application using coidiospores of the fungus Metarhizium anisopliae was carried out in the Russian Ukraine against the beet weevil, Bothynoderes punctiventris, (Metchnikoff, 1999), needed amounts of pure conidiospores were produced in the laboratory for this purpose.

In the last 50 years, microbial control of pests and plant diseases showed an amazing development associated with pronounced good results under optimized laboratory conditions, followed many times by disappointing results in the field applications. Thus, we need to understand the important concepts required to produce reliable, effective, and safe entomo-pathogens for microbial control. It was stated that “it is thus surprising that, while research directed to these major targets with a number of common goals, very little attention has previously been given to the integration of research effort (Butt et al., 2001). Disciplines such as pathology, genetics, physiology, mass production, formulation and application strategies are essential components in all three targets in making the necessary advances to enable an entomopathogenic microorganism to become registered and commercialized”, and accordingly, to be an effective and safe mean in the microbial control arsenal. Following is a short overview pointing out the effectiveness and safety of the entomopathogenic viruses, bacteria and fungi as candidates for microbial control of insect pests.