RNA Interference: A Promising Molecular Tool for Insect Pest Control

Insect Growth Regulators for Insect Pest Control*

Insecticides with growth regulating properties (IGR) may adversely affect insects by regulating or inhibiting specific biochemical pathways or processes essential for insect growth and development. Some insects exposed to such compounds may die due to abnormal regulation of hormone-mediated cell or organ development. Other insects may die either from a prolonged exposure at the developmental st...

Insect Pest Control

In October 2004 the Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture celebrated 40 years of existence. The creation in October 1964 of this Division, which includes the Insect Pest Control Subprogramme, marked the beginning of what is certainly a unique and arguably the best example of inter-agency cooperation within the whole UN family. The goal was to join the talents and...

Melia azedarach Extracts: A Potential Tool for Insect Pest Management

Plant derivatives possessing insect repellent and antifeedant properties could offer an alternative approach for managing crop pests and dealing with insect-transmitted diseases. This chapter summarizes results from studies on insecticidal effects of Melia azedarach extracts from Central Argentina. Extracts from different plant structures (green/ripe fruits, green/senescent leaves) and a variet...

Bacillus thuringiensis as a specific, safe, and effective tool for insect pest control.

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) was first described by Berliner [10] when he isolated a Bacillus species from the Mediterranean flour moth, Anagasta kuehniella, and named it after the province Thuringia in Germany where the infected moth was found. Although this was the first description under the name B. thuringiensis, it was not the first isolation. In 1901, a Japanese biologist, Ishiwata Shigeta...

Camphor as a promising insecticude for control