Microbicides and botanicals utilization for the control of chosen pests in stored grains

Abstract

The microbial pesticides are entomogenous microorganisms or their products which newlineexert pathogenic effects and are usually fatal to their insect hosts. The viruses, such as the newlinenuclear polyhedrosis viruses (NPV), cytoplasmic polyhedrosis viruses (CPV), granulosis and newlinenon- inclusion viruses, some fungi and bacteria are commercially available in various newlineformulations and under different trade names. The common trade names of bacterial newlinepathogen, Bacillus thuringiensis are Thuricide, Bakthane and Larvatrol etc. newlineSerratia marcescens, its chitinases and its chitinase genes have shown potential for newlinebiocontrol agents in a variety of experimental set-ups (Brurberg et al., 2000). This bacterium newlineis an insect pathogen and chitinase plays an important role in the virulence of this bacterium newlinetogether with protease and lecithinase (Uchiyama et al., 2003). newlineStrains of Metarhizium anisopliae from diverse geographical origins have been newlinecharacterized to test their virulence against storage Bruchidae pests of maize, beans, rice and newlineother agricultural crops (Cherrya et al., 2005; Murad et al., 2006; 2007). The use of newlineentomopathogenic fungus become a reliable alternative for coleopteran pests control as an newlinealternative to chemical control and has been extensively investigated. (Adane et al.,1996). newlineControl of C. maculatus currently relies on several strategies as the use of chemical newlineinsecticides (Tederson et al., 2006), biological control (Jackai and Adalla, 1997) by using newlinebacteria, protozoa, nematodes, virus and fungus (Chapman, 1974; Legner, 1995). Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae were evaluated according to their virulence toward newlinestorage maize bruchid pests (Cherrya et al., 2005) showing that their proteinaceous secretions could be utilized as biotechnological tools in the development of novel bioinsecticides and /or construction of resistant genetic modified plants. newline