Entomopathogenic Nematodes in Sustainable Food Production

Abstract

The emphasis of this review is on the use and potential of entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) as biological control agents in sustainable food production across a wide range of agricultural and other commodities. To aid with the understanding of the potential of EPNs in sustainable food production, this review also provides overviews on EPN biology and ecology, mass production and application technology, and interactions with other management tools. First discovered in the 1920s, their commercialization as biopesticides in the 1980s was accompanied and followed by an exponential growth in research on their application, biology, and ecology, followed by a further expansion in more basic research areas since the mid-2000s. This review summarizes significant progress made in the research and application of EPN in insect pest management in important food crops including orchards, small fruit, maize, vegetables, tuber crops, greenhouses, and mushrooms. Significant factors affecting the success of EPN commercialization are also discussed. A growing interest in alternatives to synthetic insecticides and in organic agriculture opens opportunities for EPNs, but EPNs will need to be further improved with respect to efficacy, reduced costs, and ease of use. Moreover, their potential to recycle in host populations beckons to be further exploited for long term pest suppression.

Influence of Different Species of Steinernema and Heterorhabditis on Galleria mellonella and Spodoptera littoralis

“…Entomopathogenic nematodes proved high efficiency in killing several species of insect pests; some are specific to a particular insect host or even a specific developmental stage while others have a wide range of hosts (Odendaal et al, 2016;Williams et al, 2015). Hence, a few EPNs can be used as commercial products against some insects in the field application (Georgis et al, 2006;Koppenhöfer et al, 2020;Askary and Abd-Elgawad, 2021), and these is depending on the suitability of this host to the nematode species (Dillman et al, 2012). In this study, the four selected EPN species were highly effective in killing the two insect hosts, Galleria mellonella and Spodoptera littoralis.…”

Management of Pests and Pathogens Affecting Citrus Yield in Egypt with Special Emphasis on Nematodes

“…With the multiplicity and variety of experiments they are involved in, insecticidal nematodes advance and occupy a suitable position among other biopesticides for T. semipenetrans control as well (e.g., Abd-Elgawad et al, 2013;Abd-Elgawad, 2017a, b). New directions are developing to leverage EPN efficacy with costs-effective techniques comprise optimizing sampling and extraction methods (Abd-Elgawad, 2020c; Abd-Elgawad, 2021b), detecting and/or developing enhanced strains, lowering costs of mass production, formulation and application technology, adequate combination with other control tactics (Abd-Elgawad and Askary, 2021), and environmental manipulation (Koppenhöfer et al, 2020;Dritsoulas et al, 2021). For instance, application is eased by a variety of formulations that offer stability and favorable use, e.g.…”

Opportunities and challenges of entomopathogenic nematodes as biocontrol agents in their tripartite interactions

“…However, lack of sufficient information regarding the diversity of Xenorhabdus within the species limits the application of these bacteria. Moreover, although many valid species of Steinernema and Heterorhabditis have been described (e.g., Shapiro-Ilan et al 2020), only 13 of these identified species have been commercialized till now (Koppenhöfer et al 2020a). This fact provides a scope to exploit the other species.…”