Application of Microorganisms With Insecticidal Properties for Pests’ Control in Agriculture

Research background. The interest in finding new and environmentally safe pest control technologies is constantly growing among farmers. The use of biological pesticides is the most attractive crop protection method, which is a safe alternative to the use of chemical pesticides. Considering the relevance of the pest prevalence biocontrol methods, the development of insecticides based on microorganisms and fungi is promising research direction. The purpose of the article is to analyze existing data on the use of the entomopathogenic fungi Metarhizium anisopliae and Beauveria bassiana, as well as the bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis and Streptomyces avermitilis as bioagents for the pest control in agriculture. Experimental approach. To comprehensively gather information on biopesticides, we employed a systematic and rigorous approach. We utilized a wide range of electronic sources, including Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus (Elsevier), Web of Science, Semantic Scholar, Academia, and other relevant websites, to conduct extensive literature searches. Our analysis of over 100 scientific papers and other relevant online resources enabled us to amass a comprehensive archive of pertinent literature. Results and conclusions. The target objects of the micromycetes Metarhizium anisopliae, Beauveria bassiana, as well as the bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis, Streptomyces avermitilis are a wide range of crop pests, which includes species of coleopteran and lepidopteran insects, as well as nematodes. The complex use of several species of these microorganisms at once allows to achieve the highest efficiency in the fight against both specific species of insect pests and to expand the list of pests that are their target objects. The integrated use of microorganism association of several species to control a wide range of agricultural pests is a promising technology for use in the agricultural sector. Further research is needed to select optimal combinations of microorganisms to achieve the highest efficiency in combating both specific types of insect pests and to expand the range of applications of such drugs.