This is an essential guidebook, providing a comprehensive overview of insect viruses and pest management. Part One of this volume explores the rationale behind the employment of insect pathogenic viruses in pest control and documents the assessment of biological activity, the ecology of baculoviruses, control strategies, virus production and formulation, and the conduct and recording of field control trials. Part Two comprises an authoritative global survey of current practice, R&D, and up-to-date technical studies of insect viruses and their application in pest management. This survey was compiled with the assistance of a panel of world-wide experts and will prove an invaluable and unique data source. Building on the key topics discussed in Part One, easy-to-follow, practical protocols are presented in Part Three, including detailed accounts of standard operating procedures for working with insects, isolation, propagation (in vivo and in vitro), purification, characterization and enumeration of viruses, suggestions for good laboratory layout and design, mass production methods, formulation and quality control. The importance of external environmental factors concerning virus survival and efficacy is also not forgotten, and in the final part the effects of solar radiation and the relationships between viruses and plant surfaces are discussed. Indispensable reading for all professionals and students interested in insect virology and pest control, this book is a comprehensive reference manual.

Providing a critical evaluation of the management strategies involved in ecologically-based pest management, this book presents a balanced overview of environmentally safe and ecologically sound approaches. Topics covered include biological control with fungi and viruses, conservation of natural predators, use of botanicals and how effective pest management can help promote food security. In the broader context of agriculture, sustainability and environmental protection, the book provides a multidisciplinary and multinational perspective on integrated pest management useful to researchers in entomology, crop protection, environmental sciences and pest management.

The past decade has witnessed an explosion of information on the molecular biology of insect viruses and a frenzy of activity in applying this information to medicine and agriculture. Genetically engineered baculoviruses are presently being tested for commercial use as pesticides, and the study of such viruses is also revealing remarkable insights into basic cellular processes such as apoptosis. This comprehensive volume provides readers with knowledge of basic and applied baculovirology so that current literature in the field can be appreciated.

Baculoviruses are perhaps unique among viruses in the breadth of their biotechnological applications: these insect specific viruses are used not only for insect pest management purposes, but also as laboratory research tools for production of recombinant proteins and for protein display, and as potential vectors for human gene therapy. In addition to highlighting recent advances, this volume provides a comprehensive review of the biotechnological applications of these and other insect viruses in both the academic and private sectors.

Ecofriendly Pest Management for Food Security explores the broad range of opportunity and challenges afforded by Integrated Pest Management systems. The book focuses on the insect resistance that has developed as a result of pest control chemicals, and how new methods of environmentally complementary pest control can be used to suppress harmful organisms while protecting the soil, plants, and air around them. As the world's population continues its rapid increase, this book addresses the production of cereals, vegetables, fruits, and other foods and their subsequent demand increase. Traditional means of food crop production face proven limitations and increasing research is turning to alternative means of crop growth and protection. - Addresses environmentally focused pest control with specific attention to its role in food security and sustainability. - Includes a range of pest management methods, from natural enemies to biomolecules. - Written by experts with extensive real-world experience.

Viral Insecticides for Biological Control focuses on the basic as well as applied aspects of viral insecticides, which have the potential to significantly reduce the current reliance on chemical pesticide technology. This book serves as a guide for the development of means to identify hazardous problems and prevent them. Organized into six parts with a total of 23 chapters, this book describes the taxonomy, nomenclature, identification, physical, biological, as well as chemical characteristics, replication, and pathology of insect viruses. This reference material also explores the dispersal, stability, and utilization of insect viruses as biological control agents. The factors and considerations that must be taken into account when a viral insecticide is sought as a large-scale commercial alternative to other more traditional methods of pest control are also addressed. Because this reference material collates information in this field of interest, it will benefit a wide audience of readers, including researchers, students, and those working directly in crop protection.

This Volume comprises 14 chapters in an attempt to provide the reader with available information on safe and effective use of entomopathogens. Chapters in this book dealing with soil-borne entomopathogens and their phylogeny also provide a review on most updated information of their isolation and molecular identification. Employing fungal pathogens in biological control programmes plays a key role, and conidial thermotolerance and oxidative stress are examined in separate chapters. Entomopathogenic bacteria are able to kill their hosts quickly. An important contribution concerns informations provided upon bacterial cytotoxic factors on insect haemocytes. Nematodes are biological control agents safe to the environment. The information with respect to their direct and indirect effects on non-target organisms is provided. Viruses as highly specific, virulent candidates for use as biological insecticides are safe to non-target species. A separate chapter on the role of granuloviruses in IPM contributes a wealth of information. Biopesticides in combination with synthetic insecticides are reported as effective, economic, and eco-friendly. Understanding their interactions will certainly promote their uses. Finally, emphasis has been given on reviewing synergistic and antagonistic interactions of microbial and chemical pesticides, in other chapters.