Towards Sustainable Green Adjuvants for Microbial Pesticides: Recent Progress, Upcoming Challenges, and Future Perspectives

Abstract

Microbial pesticides can be significantly improved by adjuvants. At present, microbial pesticide formulations are mainly wettable powders and suspension concentrations, which are usually produced with adjuvants such as surfactants, carriers, protective agents, and nutritional adjuvants. Surfactants can improve the tension between liquid pesticides and crop surfaces, resulting in stronger permeability and wettability of the formulations. Carriers are inert components of loaded or diluted pesticides, which can control the release of active components at appropriate times. Protective agents are able to help microorganisms to resist in adverse environments. Nutritional adjuvants are used to provide nutrients for microorganisms in microbial pesticides. Most of the adjuvants used in microbial pesticides still refer to those of chemical pesticides. However, some adjuvants may have harmful effects on non-target organisms and ecological environments. Herein, in order to promote research and improvement of microbial pesticides, the types of microbial pesticide formulations were briefly reviewed, and research progress of adjuvants and their applications in microbial pesticides were highlighted, the challenges and the future perspectives towards sustainable green adjuvants of microbial pesticides were also discussed in this review.

Nano-Food Farming: Toward Sustainable Applications of Proteins, Mushrooms, Nano-Nutrients, and Nanofibers

“…The harmful use of pesticides in agriculture over time has also led to the deterioration of both human health [44] and the broader environment, mainly non-target species in soil, air, and water [64]. Several efforts have been made to avoid these problems by moving toward the sustainable application of agrochemicals (pesticides), such as nano-formulation-based pesticides [67], green and microbial pesticides [68], and bio-pesticides [69]. The same trend exists for mineral fertilizers, where significant progress has been made toward sustainable fertilizer management through smart fertilizers [40], biogenic nano-fertilizers [29], nanocomposite-based smart fertilizers [70], and nano-biofertilizers [71].…”

The Potential of Adjuvants Used with Microbiological Control of Insect Pests with Emphasis on Organic Farming

“…In the production of microbiological preparations, four distinct types of auxiliary substances have been utilized: (1) surfactants are employed to diminish the surface tension of the liquid, thereby enhancing the wetting ability of the treated surface, (2) carriers play a pivotal role in the controlled release of active ingredients in a timely manner, (3) protective agents safeguard microorganisms contained in biopreparations against unfavorable environmental conditions, and (4) nutrients are employed to provide essential nourishment to microorganisms present in biopreparations [26].…”

“…In conventional production systems, their reduced adoption is primarily attributed to higher costs and slower efficacy compared to chemical plant protection products [14]. Furthermore, the application of biological plant protection products, particularly microbiological preparations, is challenging due to the vulnerability of contained microorganisms to environmental factors such as sunlight, temperature, and humidity [25,26]. Satisfactory outcomes from microbiological preparations are often observed in crops cultivated under controlled conditions, such as those grown in covered environments [27].…”

“…In the context of chemical plant protection treatments, the incorporation of adjuvants, by influencing the physicochemical properties of the spray solution, enhances efficiency, reduces plant protection costs, and diminishes the emission of harmful active substances into the environment [36]. Adjuvants also play a crucial role in the production and application of biological plant protection products, augmenting their durability and effectiveness [26].…”

Multifunctional Adjuvants Affect Sulfonylureas with Synthetic Auxin Mixture in Weed and Maize Grain Yield

“…Some pesticide active substances can have negative effects on non-target organisms [ 20 , 21 ]. Even adjuvants may be even more harmful than herbicide or fungicide formulations [ 22 , 23 ]; therefore, research into more environmentally friendly adjuvants should be carried out [ 24 , 25 ]. Some of them, e.g., surfactants, can have an unpredictable influence on human health and the ecosystem [ 20 , 21 ].…”