Biocontrol Agents: Methods, Types & Characteristics

Biocontrol agents, also known as biological control agents, are the microbes that protect plants from parasites. Microbes are microscopic single-celled organisms. They are small enough that we can not see them with our naked eyes. Some microorganisms are beneficial to humans, whereas others are poisonous and toxic and also cause severe illness. Do you know how bacteria can act as biocontrol agents? In this article, we will discuss biocontrol agents, their types, biocontrol methods and types of biocontrol methods. 

Key Terms: Biocontrol Agents, Biological Control Agents, Microbes, Microorganisms, Bacteria, Diseases, Pests, Organisms

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What are Biocontrol Agents?

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The employment of biological measures to control pests and plant diseases is referred to as biocontrol. Biocontrol agents are also known as biological control agents, and they are primarily utilized to reduce pest populations and generate pest-free crops. These agents help in controlling the infestation of plant pests such as weeds, insects, and mites. Biocontrol agents are only effective on harmful organisms and do not cause any harm to the organism present in the soil.

Insecticides and pesticides based on chemicals are exceedingly dangerous to humans and destroy the environment. Biocontrol strategies will significantly reduce our reliance on hazardous chemicals and pesticides.

Biopesticides are pesticides produced from natural or biological agents such as plants, animals, bacteria, fungus, viruses, and other microorganisms that are used to kill or control weeds, insects, and infections. Biopesticides are divided into two categories based on the nature of organisms: microbial pesticides and biochemical pesticides.

 Biocontrol Agents

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Biocontrol Methods

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Biocontrol is the application of one type of living creature to control another type of living organism. Biocontrol methods are long-term and self-sustaining methods for preventing the spread of invasive plant species. 

Insects, pathogens, and grazing animals are used to control weed infestation and pests. Various animals act as biocontrol agents through parasitism, predation, and other similar activities. 

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Types of Biocontrol

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Biological control is divided into two categories:

Classical Biocontrol

Classical biocontrol is the organic method of pest control. This strategy uses natural predators of the invasive plant, but if introduced species are not picked carefully, they can become significant pests.

Inductive Biocontrol 

To kill the target weed, a large number of natural enemies are released in the soil . The most prevalent inundative agent is nematodes. It is used for the inductive biocontrol.

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Different Biological Control Agents

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The following are some examples of biocontrol agents:

Fungi

As a biocontrol strategy, fungi are believed to be a fast-evolving method that does not cause any harm to the environment. Fungi have proven to be a very efficient biocontrol alternative to chemical pesticides. In recent years, fungi have gained popularity as a biocontrol approach. Entomophaga is a fungus that is effective against the green peach aphid and is used as a biological pest control strategy.

Fungi

Predators

Predators are mostly free-living species that eat a large number of prey throughout their existence. A majority of insects consume crops. Predators such as spiders, dragonflies, and lacewings are suitable for biological pest control.

Predators

Bacteria

Coccobacillus bacteria are more pathogenic to insects than other bacteria in the genus and are used for biological control. The bacteria infect the digestive tracts of insects, limiting the options available to insects with sucking mouthparts. Bacteria are a biological pest management approach.

Bacteria

Virus

Scientific research is still on to develop a virus that would selectively target pests and act as biological control. These viruses would be very unique to their hosts, making them efficient biocontrol agents.

Virus

Parasitoids

The parasitoids lay eggs in their hosts' bodies, which eventually kill them. One of the most common strategies of biological control is to use the dead host as a feeding source for the larvae.

Insect Parasitoids

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Characteristics of Effective Biocontrol Agents

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Biocontrol agents must meet several requirements, including the ability to compete with other organisms and live longer in soil and host tissue. Here are some of the characteristics of an effective biocontrol agent. 

• It should be able to colonize and multiply.
• It must not be pathogenic to the host plant or the surroundings.
• The biomass must have a long shelf life after production.
• The agent's full expression must be allowed during delivery and application.

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Advantages of Biological Control

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• Biological control is a highly specialized method. The majority of the time, predators will only control the population of the pest it is supposed to manage, making it a green alternative to chemical or mechanical pest control. 
• Natural enemies that have been introduced to the environment can self-sustain by reducing the pest population they are designed to control. This means that, once the system is started, very little effort is necessary to maintain it running smoothly. 
• In the long run, biological control can be cost-effective. It may sometimes be costly to introduce a new species to a habitat because of its self-perpetuating nature. This method only needs to be used once.
• It is the most efficient method. Since the predator introduced is naturally predisposed to target the pests, the pest population will often be reduced.

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Disadvantages of Biological Control

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• Biological control is not always reliable. In the end, all the pests will become uncontrollable. While it is designed to control a single problem, there is always the chance that the predator will switch to a different prey. 
• It is a long and time taking process. Biological agents take time and patience to work their magic on a pest population, but other treatments, such as insecticides, produce immediate results. The advantage is that biological control has a long-term effect.
• Biological control is not the way to go if you want to entirely eradicate a problem. Predators can only exist if they have food, so removing their food supply would threaten their survival. As a result, they can only lower the number of hazardous pests.
• While a biological control system is cost-effective in the long run, the process of putting one in place is expensive. A successful system takes a lot of time and money to design.

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Things to Remember

• Biocontrol agents are primarily used to reduce pest populations and generate pest-free crops.
• Biocontrol methods are long-term and self-sustaining methods for preventing the spread of invasive plant species. 
• Biocontrol methods are divided into two types- Classical Biocontrol and Inductive Biocontrol.
• Bacteria are effective biocontrol agents that are safe for humans and other non-target creatures.
• Biocontrol agents play an important role in the survival of beneficial insects. They are extremely selective against target pests.
• Biological Control agents are slow and are not always reliable.
• Biological control is a self-sustaining and inexpensive method.