Faculty of Agriculture Plant Protection Department The Role of Biotechnology in Plant Protection By El-Sayed A. El-Sheikh, PhD Lecturer of Pesticides 1st ibn-sina online conference

Problems of Arthropod pests 1- Destroy about 25%. 2- Loss of nearly 20% of stored food grains. 3- Transmit an array of human and veterinary pathogens.

DDT produced in the 1940s, insect pests have been controlled almost exclusively with chemical insecticides. Fast acting, cheap to produce, relatively easy to deliver, and highly potent, chemical insecticides have been viewed with extreme optimism. problems associated with these compounds did not begin to become apparent to most scientists until almost two decades after their introduction. Chemicals usage and their limitation

In response to the environmental threat that these compounds pose, DDT and many other chlorinated insecticides were banned from agricultural use in many countries in the 1970s. alternative classes of chemical compounds were developed. These compounds include carbamates, organophosphates, synthetic pyrethroids, neonicotinoids, synthetic growth regulators and metabolic disrupters.

The reasons for limitations in chemical insecticides usage include: Losses in beneficial insect species. Disequilibrium of ecosystems resulting in elevation of minor pests to major pests. Toxicity in vertebrate species including birds, fish, and mammals. Resistance development of target organisms.

Biochemical and molecular applications in insect control Progressions from observed activity to protein, to gene, to transgenic plants for enhanced resistance. Screening proteins against pest and beneficial insects Analysis of expression levels of transgenes in transformed plants Genetic modification of biopesticides, and development of viral biopesticides Development of fungal biopesticides for targeting secondary pests

Sustainable agriculture rely increasingly on alternative methods for pest management that are environmentally friendly and reduce the amount of human contact with chemical pesticides. The aim

Microbial control agents can be effective and serve as alternatives to broad-spectrum chemical insecticides. However, their increased utilization will require: Increased pathogen virulence and speed of kill. (2) Improved pathogen performance under challenging environmental conditions (cool weather, dry conditions, etc.). (3) Greater efficiency in their production.

(4) Improvements in formulation that enable ease of application, increased environmental persistence, and longer shelf life. (5) Better understanding of how they will fit into integrated systems and their interaction with the environment and other integrated pest management (IPM) components. (6) Greater appreciation of their environmental advantages. (7) Acceptance by growers and the general public.

Bt Cotton (insect resistance) RR Cotton (herbicide tolerance) Bt Corn (insect resistance) RR Corn (herbicide tolerance) RR Soybean (herbicide tolerance) Five GM Crops for Biosafety

Crop Applications of Biotechnology Herbicide tolerant crops, e.g., Roundup Ready corn and soybeans Examples of Biotechnology Applications for pest management

Insect Control with Biotechnology Insect resistant crops commercially available, e.g., Bt corn, cotton, and potatoes. Transfer of a gene from a soil bacteria that codes for a protein Protein becomes a toxin and kills selected insects

Bt Corn

Baculovirus in pest control

There are several reasons why the baculoviruses are popular in agriculture as a mean of pest control 1- Insects become infected by eating contaminated food, so spraying a crop is an effective mean of transmitting the pathogen, and the infection is usually lethal. 2- Baculoviruses do not infect vertebrates, and are therefore considered to be safe and selective. Nevertheless, their use has remained fairly limited due to the time taken for an infection to kill the insect.

- Effective microbial control agents that can fill the void of phased out chemicals exist, but their further development and implementation will require the following advances: - Improvements in the pathogens, their production, and formulation. - Better understanding of how they will fit into integrated systems, and their interaction with the environment and other IPM components. - Greater appreciation for their full advantages (efficacy, safety, selectivity, etc.), not simply their comparison with chemical pesticides; and acceptance by growers and the general public. Advances required in Effective microbial control agents

Advantages of Biopesticides Reduced synthetic pesticide use and residues. Production is relatively inexpensive. Usually target specific. A renewable resource. High specific activity. Biodegradable.

In most cases No single microbial control agent will provide sustainable control of an insect pest or complex of pests. As components of an integrated approach, entomopathogens can provide significant and selective insect control. A truly integrated approach in all agricultural practices will be required to obtain the maximum effect from a given intervention or practice without interfering with the effectiveness of other practices.

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