Efficacy of Entomopathogenic Fungi as Green Pesticides: Current and Future Prospects

Abstract

The growing commercialization all over the world has led to a boost in the widespread use of chemical pesticides for crop protection in agricultural fields. It has not only contributed to an increase in food production, but its toxic and non-biodegradable character has also resulted in adverse effects on environment and nontarget organisms. Moreover, most of the pests have developed resistance against them. These drawbacks of conventional pesticides have led to an increase in the need for the search of some novel, non-harmful, eco-friendly pesticides. Natural pest control materials commonly known as biocontrol agents are the most promising of them. Biocontrol agents include macroorganisms as well as microorganisms. The microorganisms used are bacteria, fungi, viruses, nematodes and protozoan. The exploitation of these natural and renewable resources is essential for a successful biocontrol strategy. The present review focuses on the use of fungi as potential biocontrol agent for insect pest management. Different fungal formulations and metabolites that have been successfully implemented for pest control and some of the recent patents in this field are also discussed here.