About this Research Topic

Background

Biological control, a cornerstone of integrated pest management (IPM), represents a sustainable and ecologically conscious approach within modern agricultural systems. This strategy harnesses the natural interactions between living organisms to regulate pest populations and maintain a balanced ecosystem. Beneficial organisms such as predators, parasitoids, and pathogens are employed to control pest species, reducing the reliance on synthetic pesticides and minimizing their potential negative impacts on the environment, non-target organisms, and human health. By introducing these natural enemies into agricultural landscapes or enhancing their populations, biological control offers long-term pest suppression while promoting biodiversity and ecosystem resilience. Through careful understanding of the ecological dynamics and intricate relationships among organisms, biological control stands as a promising avenue to enhance crop protection and yield stability while fostering a harmonious coexistence between agriculture and the natural world.

Agricultural systems worldwide face significant challenges in managing pest populations while minimizing the negative environmental impacts of traditional chemical pesticides. Prolonged and indiscriminate pesticide use has led to pest resistance, harm to non-target organisms, and soil and water pollution. Achieving sustainable agriculture requires effective pest management strategies that balance crop protection with ecological conservation. Recent advances offer promising avenues for achieving sustainable agriculture.

The dynamic field of pest management is witnessing a transformative shift towards sustainable solutions. Biological Control Agents (BCAs) have emerged as a formidable force, leveraging predatory insects, parasitoids, and microbial pathogens to curtail pest populations. Recent breakthroughs in mass rearing, formulation, and delivery methods amplify their effectiveness for large-scale implementation. Augmentation and Conservation strategies underscore the importance of releasing natural enemies while orchestrating habitat preservation to ensure persistent pest suppression. Conservation biological control takes root in enhancing the very habitats that nurture beneficial insects. Unveiling the intricate dance of plant-soil-insect microbiome interactions unveils a realm of possibilities for targeted manipulation, fostering plant resilience against pests. Biotechnological Interventions, powered by RNA interference (RNAi) technology, herald a new era of precision with pest-specific biopesticides, sparing beneficial insects from collateral damage. In a world increasingly shaped by climate change, adopting Climate-Smart Approaches becomes pivotal. Acknowledging climate's influence on pest dynamics, integrating adaptive strategies cements the fortitude of biological control systems. As agriculture navigates the future, these pathways illuminate a promising journey toward harmonizing crop protection with environmental sustainability.

Entomopathogens are microorganisms that are pathogenic to arthropods such as insects, mites, and ticks. Several species differ significantly in their biology and behavior, and hence in their ability to control the population of enemies in each environment. The proper use of entomopathogens requires a good knowledge of the biological cycle of enemies. Entomopathogens such as bacteria, fungi, nematodes, and viruses infect a variety of arthropod pests and play an important role in their management. The pathogenicity caused by the entomopathogens is not the same in all insects and differs even at each stage of the insect. It is usually larger in the young stages of the insect, especially in the larval stage. The point of entry or growth of a pathogen varies depending on the insect and the entomopathogen. The entomopathogens (usually viruses and bacteria) enter via the oral route, while fungi can invade their host from the insect cuticle. Some entomopathogens are mass-produced in vitro (bacteria, fungi) or in vivo (viruses) and sold commercially.

This Research Topic focuses on advancing innovative biological control strategies within the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) framework for sustainable pest management in diverse agricultural systems. It aims to unite research addressing challenges posed by traditional pesticides while promoting ecological conservation and crop protection.

Themes to be Explored:

1. Biological Control Agents (BCAs): Manuscripts should delve into optimizing predatory insects, parasitoids, and microbial pathogens as BCAs. Research on mass rearing, formulation, and application methods is encouraged.

2. Augmentation and Conservation: Contributions should focus on augmenting natural enemies through releases and habitat management, as well as enhancing habitats of beneficial insects.

3. Microbiome-Mediated Control: Manuscripts should explore microbiome interactions for improved pest management and plant health.

4. Climate-Resilient Strategies: Addressing climate change impact on pest dynamics and developing adaptive control strategies.

5. Policy and Socio-Economic Implications: Discussing policy recommendations, economic incentives, and socio-cultural factors influencing the adoption of biological control strategies by farmers.

Types of Manuscripts:

1. Original Research Articles: Presenting novel findings on biological control efficacy, mechanisms, and application in different agricultural contexts.

2. Reviews: Synthesizing recent biological control advances, highlighting challenges, and proposing future directions.

3. Methodology Papers: Detailing innovative techniques for developing and implementing biological control strategies.

4. Case Studies: Describing successful biological control implementation in specific crops/regions, including lessons learned and best practices.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Data Report
• Editorial
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Data Report
• Editorial
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Policy Brief
• Review
• Systematic Review

Keywords: biological control, integrated pest management, sustainable agriculture, natural enemies, predators, parasitoids, pathogens, pest suppression, biodiversity, ecosystem resilience, crop protection, ecological dynamics, agricultural systems

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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