Biopesticides and Biocontrol for Green Agriculture

Due to chemical dominance biocontrol in crop protection was neglected. Soon after, the consequences of indiscriminate use of pesticides was realized resulting in imposition of ban on many of them. This opened new vistas for rapid developments of biocontrol as a discipline. Detailed investigations on the biology and ecology of pest and natural enemies have provided insights which have enabled the control techniques to be used more effectively. Understanding the epidemiology, life cycles and in vitro culture techniques of antagonistic organisms have been successfully exploited to develop biocontrol agents as biopesticides. Biopesticides have several advantages over chemical pesticides. In developing countries, where there is a shortage of foreign exchange, an attractive possibility is the manufacture of biopesticides using cheap locally available agricultural wastes as a substrate for culturing the biological control agents by cottage industries or the farmers cooperatives. Contents of book “Biopesticides and Biocontrol for Green Agriculture” include : • Integrated Pest and Disease Management System (IPDMS) • An Introduction to Biopesticides • Microbial Control of Insects • Bacteria as Biocontrol Agents • Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) and Their Insecticidal Toxins • Commercial Production of Bacterial Insecticides • Fungal Insecticides • Viral and Rickettsial Insecticides • Protozoal Insecticides • Nematode-based Insecticides • Botanical Pesticides • Bioherbicides • Biocontrol through Transgenic Plant Technology • Biocontrol of Plant Diseases • Phytochemicals for control of Plant Pathogens In addition, other important information regarding biocontrol and biopesticides are summarized in eight appendices and included in the book for benefitting to the readers. The present compilation attempts to offer basic concepts of all the essential components of biopesticides used for agriculture purposes and should prove of help to all students and professionals engaged in agriculture study and practices. This book will prove of great help to students pursuing U.G. and P.G. Courses in Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences and Technology, Food Science and Technology, as well as other basic science courses (Microbiology, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Chemistry, Environmental Sciences) where this subject forms a part of its applied biotechnology curricula. Compactness and simplicity in presenting the subjective information will make the book of great value to students having first exposure to the subject.