overview: factors in the success and failure of microbial insecticides
TRANSCRIPT
Integrated Pest Management Reviews4: 279, 1999.© 2000Kluwer Academic Publishers. Printed in the Netherlands.
Overview: Factors in the success and failure of microbial insecticides
W.D. Gelernter1,∗ & H.F. Evans21PACE Consulting, 1267 Diamond St., San Diego, CA 92109, USA;2Forest Research, Alice Holt Lodge,Wrecclesham, Farnham, Surrey, UK;∗Author for correspondence (Tel.:+619-272-9897; Fax:+619-483-6349;E-mail: [email protected])
Received 2 February 1999; accepted 31 May 1999
Microbial insecticides based on insect pathogenicviruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa and nematodes are animportant component in biological control efforts forinsect pests of agriculture, forestry and human health.Yet in the past few years, we have seen changes inagriculture, biology and industry that have challengedthe way we think about the role of microbial insecti-cides. These changes include the disappearance and/orconsolidation of many of the small companies thathave traditionally produced microbial insecticides. Atthe same time, large agrichemical companies are play-ing an increasing role in territory that was previouslyreserved for the biological control advocate – that is,in the development of safer insecticides. These newproducts include chemistries (imidacloprid, spinosyn,fipronil and others) that are much safer than the conven-tional broad-spectrum products of the past, as well astransgenic cotton, corn and potatoes that express pro-teins derived fromBacillus thuringiensis. These geneti-cally engineered seed products are enjoying incrediblyrapid adoption, with almost 50 million acres plantedglobally in 1998 and over 1 billion dollars (U.S.) insales. In contrast, all microbial insecticides combinedgenerate annual sales of approximately $140 million(U.S.) (sales data from privately sponsored marketingreports). In other words, microbial insecticides are nowfaced with new and formidable competition that threat-ens the small, but significant inroads that have beenmade over the past several years.
What do these changes mean for researchers inmicrobial control and integrated pest management?To create a forum for discussion of this question, weorganised a symposium entitledFactors in the Successand Failure of Microbial Insecticides, which was con-vened at The 8th International Colloquium on Inverte-brate Pathology and Microbial Control. This meetingwas sponsored by the Society for Invertebrate Pathol-ogy and was held in Sapporo, Japan in August, 1998.The papers included in this volume come from insectpathologists that work with foliar feeding, soil dwellingand migratory insect pests of forestry, human health,vegetable and field crops, and turfgrass. Each authorhas applied their expertise to answer the followingquestions:
• Does microbial control still have a place in insectmanagement?• Which factors characterize the most successful (and
the least successful) microbial control programmes?• Are there features in common among successful and
failed projects?
It is our hope that this type of forum can provideguidance in the planning of future microbial controlresearch and implementation programmes, as well asa better understanding of where our efforts have led ustoday.