Compost, poultry litter, IPM Lab Biopesticide and BAU-Biofungicide, either alone or in combinations, were assessed for their effect in controlling early blight disease, and on growth and yield parameters of tomato. The lowest early blight incidence and severity were recorded in T13 (compost tea + poultry litter extract + BAU-Bio-fungicide) followed by T12 (compost tea + poultry litter extract +...

To inform current and future pesticide availability to glasshouse vegetable growers, the current project trialled more than twenty products, including existing industry standards, against four key pests of glasshouse tomatoes and bell peppers. These included experimental conventional chemical pesticides as well as alternative biopesticide and biorational products based on phytochemicals, microb...

Pesticides based on microorganisms and their products have proven to be highly effective, species specific and eco-friendly in nature, leading to their adoption in pest management strategies around the world. The microbial biopesticide market constitutes about 90% of total biopesticides and there is ample scope for further development in agriculture and public health, although there are challen...

Diverse bacteria are known to colonize plants. However, only a small fraction of that diversity has been evaluated for their biopesticide potential. To date, the criteria for sampling and selection in such bioprospecting endeavors have not been systematically evaluated in terms of the relative amount of diversity they provide for analysis. The present study aimed to enhance the success of bio-p...

The importance of biomass as a source of chemicals, biofuels, and energy is widely accepted. Currently, the attention is mainly focused on the valorisation of by-products from lignocellulosic materials. Chemical compounds derived from plants and microorganisms that provide good protection for crops against weeds, pests, and diseases (biopesticide active substances) have been used to formulate p...

RNA interference has had major advances as a developing tool for pest management. In laboratory experiments, double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) is often administered to the insect by genetic modification of the crop, or synthesized in vitro and topically applied to the crop. Here, we engineered genetically modified yeast that express dsRNA targeting y-Tubulin in Drosophila suzukii. Our design takes ad...

Optimization of the Culture Medium, Fermentation Process, and Effectiveness a Biopesticide from an Iranian Bacillus thuringiensis var. tenebrionis (BN2)

RNA interference (RNAi) by oral delivery of dsRNA in insects has great potential as a tool for integrated pest management (IPM), especially with respect to addressing the need to reduce off-target effect and slow down resistance development to chemical insecticides. Employing the natural association existing between insect and yeast, we developed a novel method to enable the knock down of vital...