Microorganisms Bio Pesticide

Production
B V C M Benaragama
What are Biopesticides?
Pesticides manufactured via biological methods, including
naturally occuring substances, microbes or plant material.
“Biopesticides include,

1. Naturally occurring substances that control

pests,
2. Microorganisms that control pests,
3. Pesticidal substances produced by plants
containing added genetic material (PIPs).”

-United States Environmental Protection Agency-

 1. Bacterial Biopesticides
Types of microbial 2. Viral Biopesticides
3. Fungal Biopesticides
Biopesticides 4. Protozoan Biopesticides
Bacterial Biopesticides
1. Bacillus thuringiensis

● Most commonly used type of

bacterial pesticide.
● Naturally occurring soil-borne
bacteria
● Different subspecies are used
for different insect pests.
Mechanism
● The bacteria consists of a spore, in
which a toxic protein crystal is
present.
● When consumed the protein crystal
released to highly alkaline gut of the
insect, blocks the system that protect
insects gut from its own gastric juices.
● The stomach will collapse and the
insect will die
● Do not affect vertebrates, because
they have acidic stomach
Applications
2. Bacillus sphaericus

● Naturally occurring soil-borne

bacteria.
● Commonly used against
mosquito larvae.
● Not effective against dengue
vector, Aedes aegypti,
mosquitoes
Mechanism
● The bacteria consists toxic protein
crystals.
● When consumed the protein crystal
released to larvae midgut.
● The proteins will bind to wall od the
midget and start destroying it
● Eventually the larvae dies.
Viral Biopesticides
Baculoviridae

● Baculoviruses are pathogens that

attack insects and other arthropods

● Usually extremely small

● Composed primarily of double-stranded

DNA that codes for genes needed for
virus establishment and reproduction
Mechanism
● Involves two types of virions
● One is occluded and is adapted for
stability outside the host insect and
for infection of midgut cells.
● Budded virions are not occluded and
spread the infection from cell to cell
within the insect
● To initiate an infection, the occluded
virions must infect midgut cells.
APPLICATIONS
● The cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera, is a major pest of cotton

● a granulovirus of the codling moth Cydia pomonella (CpGV) has been used
for the control of the insect on pear and apple crops

● a virus that infects the velvet bean caterpillar (Anticarsia gemmatalis), a pest
of soybeans
Fungal Biopesticides
Beauveria bassiana

● Beauveria bassiana is a fungus

which causes a disease known as
the white muscadine disease in
insects

● Many soil insects, however, may

have a natural tolerance to this
pathogen
Mechanism
● When spores of this fungus come in
contact with the cuticle of insects,
they germinate and grow directly
through the cuticle to the inner body
of their host
● the fungus proliferates throughout the
insect's body, producing toxins and
draining the insect of nutrients,
eventually killing it.
● infect the insect with contact and do
not need to be consumed by their
host to cause infection
APPLICATIONS
● Used against,
○ Aphids
○ Grasshoppers
○ Stink bugs
○ Termites
○ Fire ants
○ Flies
○ Beetles
Protazoa Biopesticides
Advantages Disadvantages
1. Specific to the target pest 1. Slow Kills
2. Less toxic than the 2. Less effectiveness
conventional one 3. Shorter residual activity
3. Effective in small quantities
4. Decompose quickly
5. Less resistance
Questions?