What are BioControl Agents?
They are also known as biological control agents, are living organisms such as parasites, predators, pathogens or competetive microbes that are used to control pests like insects, weeds, plant pathogens and other organisms. These agents can be introduced into an environment to reduce pest populations below damage threshold levels. Some common examples of biocontrol agents include parasitic wasps, ladybug beetles, praying mantis, lacewings, predatory mites, nematodes and fungi, bacteria or viruses that are pathogenic to the target pests.
How do they work?
They work by attacking and causing harm to the target pest species but are otherwise harmless to people and the environment. Parasitic biocontrol agents lay their eggs on or inside the body of the host pest which then consumes the host from within. Predatory agents actively hunt and consume the pest organisms. Pathogenic agents infect the pests andeitherkill them outright or render them unable to reproduce through disease. Competitive microbial agents competitely inhibit the growth of plant pathogens. This targeted harm to pests offered by them helps keep pest populations in check at low numbers.
Advantages
There are several advantages of using these agents for pest management over chemical pesticides:
- Environment-friendly: Being living organisms, they are safer for the environment and non-target species as they do not leave long-lasting residues. Their activity is selective to the target pest species.
- Sustainable method: Once introduced and established, many biocontrol agents are able to maintain themselves and continue controlling the pest populations without repeated human intervention or purchasing of inputs.
- Specificity: Most biocontrol agents have highly specific host ranges and cannot survive without their target hosts. Hence there is little possibility of harming other non-target organisms.
- Cost-effective: Though the initial establishment of some biocontrol programs may require investment, over the long term they offer very low-cost control solutions comparable to chemical pesticides.
- Integrated approach: Biocontrol programs can be effectively integrated with other pest management practices like mechanical controls, use of resistant plant varieties, cultural controls etc. for holistic solutions.
Challenges
While biocontrol offers several advantages, there are also some challenges that need to be addressed:
- Establishment issues: For some agents multiple inoculative releases may be required over several seasons for effective establishment and pest control. Persistence monitoring is also required.
- Specificity of activity: The activity of certain it may remain specific to certain pest life stages only. year-round control may not be achieved in some cases.
- Abiotic and biotic interference: Environmental factors like temperature, humidity, nutrient availability etc. as well as interactions with other organisms can impact biocontrol agent effectiveness.
- Quality control of releases: Mass rearing and quality control of biocontrol agents for commercial distribution as well as their timely field releases is crucial.
- Lack of research: Despite the potential, more research is still required on many new candidate and developing protocols for their effective utilization.
Future of BioControl
As environmental and health concerns regarding chemical pesticides continue to rise globally, the future of sustainable agriculture lies with Integrated Pest Management approaches integrating safer and eco-friendly methods like biocontrol. With ongoing research and development, many new biocontrol agents are being explored for managing pest problems. Advances in mass production and release techniques will support the large-scale adoption of biocontrol solutions. Many new biocontrol delivery mechanisms are also being developed. Overall, the coming years will see a significant growth in the commercial biocontrol industry worldwide helping minimize risks from pesticide usage.