Entomopathogenic Microorganisms in Pest Control

Entomopathogenic microorganisms are bacteria, fungi, and other pathogens that naturally infect and kill insects, and researchers study them as alternatives to synthetic chemical pesticides. Fungi such as *Metarhizium anisopliae* and *Beauveria bassiana* have drawn particular attention because they can be formulated as biopesticides, colonize plant tissues as endophytes, and in some cases suppress insect populations across entire agricultural ecosystems. Advances in genomic sequencing have accelerated efforts to understand how these organisms locate hosts, evade immune defenses, and persist in soil, opening the door to strains engineered or selected for greater efficacy and environmental stability. Central open questions involve how to maintain reliable pest control across variable field conditions, how to integrate these agents with other biological controls such as parasitic nematodes, and how to rigorously assess their long-term effects on non-target species and soil ecology.

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Keywords

Entomopathogenic FungiBiological ControlInsect PathogensBiopesticidesMetarhiziumBeauveria bassiana