Microbes for Sustainable Insect Pest Management

The focus of this book is on the potential of entomopathogens in agroecosystem functioning. Entomopathogens are natural enemies of insect pests and have been regularly isolated around the world for pest management purposes. Employing entomopathogens to combat insect pests of agricultural importance has gained momentum due to ecofriendly approaches applied. Although they play a critical role in IPM they remain relatively underutilized despite their many advantages over other biological and chemical products. The different chapters throw light on topics such as soil-borne entomopathogens and their molecular phylogeny; ascomycota and IPM; conidial thermotolerance; oxidative stress for mycoinsecticide enhancement; cytotoxic factors of entomopathogenic bacteria and insect haemocytes; EPN and non-target arthropods; granuloviruses and IPM; entomopathogens with other pest management options; synergism and antagonism among entomopathogen and chemical insecticides. Microbes for Sustainable Insect Pest Management, Volume 1: An Eco-friendly Approach, along with the forthcoming Volume 2: Secondary Metabolites, Hydrolytic Enzymes & Nanoparticles, provide detailed accounts on the safe use of entomopathogens for sustainable management of insect pests. Together, they aim at providing solid foundations for the students, teachers, and researchers interested in eco-friendly management of important insect crop pests.