Microbial biopesticides and integrated pest management

Increasing environmental, regulatory and market pressures, along with increasing pest resistance, are dictating a progressive move away from chemicals for insect pest control. Insect pathogens (viruses, bacteria, fungi and nematodes), produced artificially and formulated into microbial biopesticides, can provide part of the answer, both as alternatives to chemicals and as components of resistance management strategies. White the large markets, particularly for Bacillus thuringiensis, are dominated by large multinationals, there is considerable scope for local producers to target regional and niche markets. The development of microbial pesticides requires research into production, formulation, application and adoption issues for each product. The Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for Tropical Pest Management has research interests in initial development, application strategies and adoption of microbial biopesticides in integrated pest management programs. Collaborative programs involving potential producers with expertise in medium and large scale production, and users are essential for the long-term success of biopesticides. The CRC concept is well suited to such collaborative research