Entomopathogens in the integrated management of forest insects: from science to practice

Abstract

The most important aim of the integrated management of forest insect pests remains the prevention of insect outbreaks, which are a consequence of the interaction of many factors in forest ecosystems, including species composition, age and health of the forest, soil type, the presence of natural enemies, and climatic factors. Integrated pest management until now has been achieved using measures aimed at shaping the functioning of stands in a changing environment. The aim of this review is to summarize research on the use of entomopathogens (microorganisms and nematodes) in the management of forest insect pests and to identify the principal knowledge gaps. We briefly describe the main research directions on the use of pathogens and nematodes to control insect pests and discuss limitations affecting their implementation. Research on entomopathogens for the biocontrol of forest insects has provided a wealth of knowledge that can be used effectively to reduce insect populations. Despite this, few entomopathogens are currently used in integrated pest management in forestry. They are applied in inoculation or inundation biocontrol strategies. While the use of entomopathogens in forest pest management shows great promise, practical implementation remains a distant goal. Consequently, sustainable reduction of forest pests, mainly native species, will be largely based on conservation biological control, which aims to modify the environment to favor the activity of natural enemies that regulate pest populations. This type of biocontrol can be supported by a range of silvicultural measures to increase the resilience of stands to insect infestations. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Changes in Biologically Active Compounds in Pinus sylvestris Needles after Lymantria monacha Outbreaks and Treatment with Foray 76B

“…Therefore, to control the massive expansion of insect pests, the application of additional measures is required [ 33 ]. In the case of the nun moth outbreaks, aerial application of the bioinsecticide Foray 76B [ 34 ], which is made from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis subspecies kurstaki Strain ABTS-351 (Btk), which forms spores with Cry or Cyt proteins inside the defoliator during its growth cycle [ 34 , 35 ], is needed. Even though Btk is considered toxic to targeted lepidopterans, and numerous impact studies show this bacterium’s safety on non-target organisms, there is a gap in knowledge regarding the effect of Btk on the accumulation of defensive compounds in conifer needles.…”