Genetic Improvement of Biocontrol Agents for Sustainable Pest Management

摘要: Genetic improvement involves directed purposeful genetic alterations to enhance the efficacy of natural enemies for biological control. This may be achieved by conventional approaches as well through recombinant DNA techniques. The methods include strain selection, serial passage hosts, mutation, conjugation, transduction, selective breeding, hybridisation, etc., whereas engineering involve gene transfer utilising various methods. Entomophagous insects improved climatic tolerance, sex ratio, host-finding ability, host preference, increased range, pesticide resistance, etc. main objectives in genetically altering microbes are increase virulence and persistence. cry genes from Bacillus thuringiensis have been cloned expressed a wide variety organisms (baculoviruses cyanobacteria) plants attempts improve their delivery against insect pests. Apart B. thuringiensis, binary toxin different sphaericus strains has hosts like Escherichia coli, non- or low-toxic crystal minus Bt israelensis Caulobacter crescentus cyanobacteria Anabaena sp. Insect viruses, especially baculoviruses, mostly specific viruses which can replicate only hosts. technology its current applications inserting foreign into baculoviruses achieving rapid efficient expression recipient systems. Candidate hyperexpression those encoding insect-specific enzyme (juvenile hormone esterase gene), (eclosion gene, diuretic gene) toxic (scorpion venom genes, predatory mite spider parasitic wasp δ-endotoxin genes). It is worthwhile mention that BCAs potentially very promising led development more effective entomopathogens with desired pathogenicity, virulence, broad range persistence, providing valuable tool sustainable pest management.