Can entomopathogenic fungi successfully control insect pests?

There is a vicious cycle between climate change and agriculture, with global warming negatively impacting crop yields and food security, and conventional farming practices contributing significantly to global warming. Farmers must adopt more sustainable practices for the growing food demand to be met with the least impact to the environment. This review focuses on research examining the insecticidal nature of entomopathogenic fungi (EPF), a trait commercially exploited in biological pest control as an alternative to polluting chemical insecticides. Whilst the infection process of EPF is well researched and EPF based insecticides are readily applied in agricultural settings globally, their success is limited by several factors. A lack of systematic documentation and registration processes in previous studies and an agricultural bias has restricted the progress of recent developments. Additionally, the biological mechanisms underpinning the response of EPF to abiotic factors remain under researched, further restricting their success. Future research areas and application techniques are proposed, primarily focusing of the integration of EPF based insecticides into Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies. The sustainability of EPF aligns with the values of IPM, which adopts a holistic approach to pest control by considering the whole environment. Modern biotechnology processes can allow for the endophytic inclusion of EPF into host plants, as well as lure-and-kill strategies to be implemented. In conclusion, the potential for EPF to transform the agricultural and conservational pesticide industry is undeniable however, a lack of understanding into the biological mechanisms behind insect pest and plant host interactions limits the success of EPF in IPM strategies.