Application and Development of Biocontrol Agents in China

Abstract

While the growing population in the world has a large demand for food, agriculture and forestry are currently facing severe challenges due to phytopathogens and pests along with global warming. For half a century chemical pesticides and fertilizers have made a great contribution to agricultural production. However, the excessive use of chemical agents has caused obvious side effects on the environment and the sustainable development of agriculture in the long term. China has recorded one of the fastest economic growths for more than 20 years but at the cost of a seriously polluted environment. Since a decade ago, China has paid increasing attention to environment protection and taken intensified measures for pollution control and ecological restoration. In this context, the biocontrol agent industry in China has experienced a golden decade of rapid development. In this minireview, we will introduce the application and development of microorganism-based biocontrol agents in China over the past two decades.