Entomopathogenic nematodes as an alternative biological control agents against insect foes of crops

Abstract

Entomopathogenic nematodes belonging to the genus Steinernema, Heterorhabditis and Neosteinernema are the natural killers of insects belonging to different orders. These nematodes are suitable biocontrol agents as they do not possess a threat to the environment and safer to human health. Commercially entomopathogenic nematodes are exploited against insect pests of various economically valuable crops. Upon application in the field, these nematodes face many biotic and abiotic stresses which results in inconsistent efficacy in pest management. Traditionally artificial selection and hybridization techniques were adopted to improve traits related to penetration and infectivity to insect host and storage stability in the formulation. Artificially improved traits tend to losses in the external environment once the selection pressure removed. Genomics assisted breeding provides an alternative way for stable trait improvements in entomopathogenic nematodes which last for a longer period and exhibit maximum efficacy in the field against targeted insect pests. Understating their lifecycles and complex mechanisms of host’s infectivity exhibited by nematode-bacterial partners would further enhance our knowledge to improve their efficacy against insect pests. In the future, there is a huge scope of developing stable commercial formulations of entomopathogenic nematodes as a suitable biological control agent.