M.M.A. Hammam1, I.E. Shehata2 and M.M.M. Abd-Elgawad1*
(1) Plant Pathology Department, National Research Center, El-Tahrir St., Dokki 12622, Giza, Egypt; (2) Pests and Plant Protection Department, National Research Centre, Dokki, Giza 12622, Egypt
*Email address of the corresponding author: [email protected]
Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) are commonly used as bio-control agents to control insect pests. This review focuses on extending EPN use against another serious group of pests, i.e. plant-parasitic nematodes (PPNs). Many laboratory tests and field experiments proved both EPN safety and nematicidal efficacy. However, EPNs will need to be further primed for such wider application. Accordingly, identifying types of bio-suppressing PPN populations and main bioassays for determining their efficacy against the target PPN species are presented, and optimizing these assays to avoid misleading results was highlighted. In addition, the three main strategies of applying EPNs against insect pests are reviewed to discuss their potential use in PPN control. Concern over many unhealthy chemical nematicides, growing interests in organic agriculture and lack of effective nematicides triggers exploiting new opportunities such as using EPN against destructive PPNs. This review aims to stimulate EPN economic applications via a dual-use technology against both insect and PPN pests for future sustainable agriculture. This technology would enhance using EPNs and reduce the cost by adopting broad biocontrol applications via dual purpose usage that boost their value. A few emerging techniques that are truly transformational for boosting such an uptake of EPN use are highlighted.
Agricultural sustainability, beneficial nematodes, harmful nematodes, dual-use technology, pest management, commercialization.
https://doi.org/10.22268/AJPP-001434