Biocontrol Agents: Overview, Types, Merits and Demerits

Biocontrol achieves pest-free fields. It is very effective for permanently removing invasive plants. This method employs living organisms to eradicate weeds, pests, insects, pathogens, and other living organisms. Biocontrol Agents are one of the topics in Biology and they carry a weightage of 4% in NEET and 4-5% in CBSE and other Paramedical Exams.

What are Biocontrol Agents?

Biocontrol agents prevent pests or insects from reproducing by using their natural enemies. Biological control is the process by which biocontrol agents operate.

The use of naturally occurring strains of any microorganisms or genetically modified organisms to reduce the frequency or severity of diseases caused by plant pathogens is known as a "biocontrol agent" (BCA). Some Basic facts about biocontrol agents are discussed below:

• Biocontrol is the use of a living organism or biological agent to stop the growth of an insect or other pest.

• The biocontrol agents defend plants from pests, parasites, predators, and other natural enemies.

• They aid in reducing plant pest infestations caused by weeds, nematodes, insects, and mites.

• The biological control agents target harmful organisms only, and they leave the beneficial organisms in the soil alone.

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Types Of Biocontrol Agents

Two categories of biological control exist:

1. Classical biocontrol (Importation)

2. Inductive Biocontrol (Augmentation)

Characteristics of Biocontrol Agents

Some Basic Characteristics of Biocontrol Agents are discussed below:

• It is a natural way to manage insects, weeds, pests, and other living things that hinder growth. It is applied to raise crop production and yield.

• Predation and parasitism are the basic biological control principles. Trichoderma, Baculoviruses, and Nucleopolyhedrovirus are a few of the microbes used as biocontrol agents.

• Farmers use biocontrol agents to kill only undesirable organisms that afflict plants with disease because chemical fertilizers can occasionally kill the desired and necessary soil organisms.

• Pest management and the life cycle of the pest are necessary to understand how to approach the biological control process.

• Spraying a plant with BT solution made from seeds will kill the caterpillars of butterflies.

• Toxins from the worms' intestines are released by the dried seeds, killing them.

Various Biocontrol Agents

Examples of biological pest control agents are provided below:

Types of Questions Asked from Biocontrol Agents

During exam preparation, different types of questions about the Biocontrol Agents are asked. The table below contains the different patterns of questions asked in different exams.

Tips, Tricks, and Strategies for Biocontrol Agents

It takes effort to remember everything in a single go. We made the entire problem easy. Some of the tricks regarding Biocontrol Agents are given below which you can use to memorize the important points.

Types of Biocontrol Agents

"FPBVP: Fungi, Predators, Bacteria, Virus, Parasitoids"
F: Fungi (e.g., entomophagous fungi to control aphids)
P: Predators (e.g., spiders, dragonflies, lacewings)
B: Bacteria (e.g., Bacillus thuringiensis for pest control)
V: Virus (host-specific viruses targeting pests)
P: Parasitoids (e.g., parasitic wasps laying eggs in host insects)

Categories of Biocontrol

"CI: Classical, Inductive"
C: Classical biocontrol (prey-predator relationships, using natural enemies)
I: Inductive biocontrol (augmentation, using pathogens like nematodes)

Advantages of Biocontrol

"LESS: Low-risk, Eco-friendly, Sustainable, Specific"
L: Low-risk to human health and environment
E: Eco-friendly (minimizes chemical pesticide use)
S: Sustainable over long periods
S: Specific (targets only the pest)

Steps in Biocontrol Implementation

"ISAT: Introduction, Selection, Application, Testing"
I: Introduction of biocontrol agents
S: Selection of suitable agents for specific pests
A: Application in the field (release of agents)
T: Testing for effectiveness and monitoring progress

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