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Key issues in formulation of biocontrol agents for plant protection
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03 April 2025

The potential of biocontrol agents (BCAs) for plant protection has been known for a long time. Their reduced risk for non-target organisms makes them interesting candidates for use in plant protection. Due to their instability against environmental factors such as UV, humidity and temperature, their application success in the field remains limited. The utilization of living cells is a multi-step approach starting from the strain selection, followed by mass production, formulation, drying and storage and subsequent testing in the field. A well-developed formulation can protect BCAs during the formulation and drying and can improve performance at the place of application, in order to develop living organisms into safe and easily applicable biocontrol agents. This chapter provides an introduction into the key aspects that need to be mentioned when developing biocontrol agents, with emphasis on formulation aspects of living biocontrol agents including viruses for insect pest control.
TECHNOLOGY & ENGINEERING / Pest Control, Pest control / plant diseases, TECHNOLOGY & ENGINEERING / Agriculture / Sustainable Agriculture, TECHNOLOGY & ENGINEERING / Agriculture / Agronomy / Crop Science, Sustainable agriculture, Agronomy and crop production
- 1 Introduction
- 2 Preliminary steps in biocontrol agents product development: strain selection and fermentation
- 3 Formulation: purpose and components
- 4 How to formulate living biocontrol agents
- 5 Formulation issues: encapsulation materials
- 6 Formulation issues: water activity
- 7 Formulation issues: drying and storage
- 8 Types of commercialized formulation for biocontrol agents
- 9 Formulation to protect biocontrol agents from environmental variables in the field: ultraviolet radiation
- 10 Formulation to protect biocontrol agents from environmental variables in the field: humidity and temperature
- 11 Ensuring adhesion to target areas such as leaves
- 12 Modes of release
- 13 Conclusion and future trends
- 14 Where to look for further information
- 15 References