Biocontrol Agents – Types, Advantages, Disadvantages

Biocontrol agents are also referred to as biological control agents. It includes microbes that serve the purpose of safeguarding plants from parasitic organisms. Microbes refer to little unicellular creatures. Our naked eyes cannot perceive them because microbes are very tiny. Bacteria, Viruses, Fungi, and Parasitoids are various microbes that work as agents safeguarding plants from invasive species by killing them. This article aims to explore the topic of biocontrol agents, including their varieties, biocontrol methods, advantages, and disadvantages.

What is Biocontrol Agent?

Biocontrol agents may be described as biological approaches to control pests and plant illnesses; they are generally employed to decrease pest populations and produce the finest harvests that are free of pests. Biocontrol agents can also be used to manage plant diseases. These agents are effective at preventing and suppressing the population of plant pathogens such as weeds, insects, and mites.  Biocontrol agents do not damage soil organisms and are only effective against pathogens. To lessen our dependency on potentially harmful chemicals and pesticides, biocontrol tactics will be a very useful tool in the future.

Types of Biological Control

The term “biocontrol” refers to the practice of employing one kind of living creature (such as insects, illnesses, or grazing animals) to regulate the population of another kind of living organism. In most cases, it is effective against plant and insect pests. This approach is both long-term and self-sustaining, making it an effective tool for stopping the spread of invasive plant pests. Biological procedures have been broken down by researchers into the three categories that are shown below:

Introductory Biocontrol

The goal of this type is to restore ecological balance in a system that has been disrupted and has been taken over by a population of a pest while doing so in a safe manner. This strategy consists of the safe insertion of a small population of a higher trophic level species. The higher trophic level species then kills all the invasive pests.

Inductive Biocontrol (Augmentation)

In inductive biocontrol the target weed is eradicated by a significant number of its native predators and parasites. Mostly nematodes are used is this type.

Different Biological Control Agents 

The usage of biocontrol agents is a very effective alternative approach for managing several illnesses, including worm infestation, fungal pathogens, and bacterial pathogens. In contemporary times, the use of biocontrol agents has emerged as a prominent factor within the realm of agriculture. The following are some types of agents that may be used for biocontrol:

Fungi

It is considered that fungi are an ever-evolving approach that has shown to be a highly effective biocontrol alternative to chemical pesticides and does not do any damage to the environment. Fungi also do not pose any health risks to humans. Fungi have become an increasingly common choice for the biocontrol method known as mycocontrol. 

Example: Entomophaga (successful in combating the green peach aphid).

Predators

Predators are free-living organisms that sustain themselves by hunting and eating other animals throughout their lives. Because they feed primarily on agricultural produce, predators like spiders, dragonflies, and lacewings are ideal candidates for use in biological pest management.

Bacteria 

In a nutshell, bacteria, which are the most effective biological strategy for managing pests, infect the digestive systems of insects and other potentially deadly pests. Coccobacillus bacteria, in comparison to other types of bacteria, are very dangerous to insects.

Virus

According to the findings of several research, viruses would be particularly specific to their hosts, which would make them effective biocontrol agents. The development of a virus that would be miraculous in terms of specifically targeting pests and serving as biological control is still the subject of ongoing study in the scientific community. 

Parasitoids

The parasitoids are an efficient tool of biological control since they lay eggs within the bodies of their hosts, which ultimately results in the hosts’ death. Utilizing the deceased host as a source of food for the developing larvae is a biological control method that is used by them.

Characteristics of Biological Control Agents

In order to be considered as effective biocontrol agents they need to fulfil a number of conditions, a few of which are detailed below. 

• It should be able to colonies new environments and produce many copies of itself.
• It must be able to outlive its rivals and survive for a longer period of time in both the soil and the host tissue.
• It is essential that the environment, as well as the hosts themselves, be not harmed by its presence.
• Biomass must have a substantial duration of useability once production has concluded.
• During distribution and application, there should be room for the agent to fully express themselves.
• Its searching ability must be thorough and effective.
• It must feature strong rates of predation or parasitism.
• It needs to show the lowest feasible handling time, and the ability to tolerate at low prey concentrations.
• Capacity for adjustment in response to a wide range of environmental conditions
• It should not be harmful to plants or animals and have a significant advantage over other species.
• Must possess high chance of surviving in soil or host tissues, despite being able to inhibit or eradicate several diseases.

Benefits of Biocontrol Agents

Biological control is an approach that is both highly specialist and effective. The majority of the time, predators will only control the number of the pest it is designed to manage. Because of this, predator management is an environmentally friendly option over chemical or mechanical pest control.

• The flawless operation of it requires just a little amount of work to maintain. 
• It is cost-effective in the long run.
• As the imported predator is inclined to attack the pests, the pest population is frequently decreased.
• It conserves biological diversity in managed ecosystems.
• It only kills the intended target.
• It is tenacious and capable of killing throughout the growing season or crop life.

Disadvantages of Bio Control Agents 

It does not necessarily have a positive impact in every aspect. The following are some of the disadvantages of using biological control:

• Pests will grow unmanageable in the end. 
• There is always a potential that the predator may change to a new prey since it is only intended to handle one issue. 
• This is a highly time-consuming operation, while other treatments, such as the application of pesticides, give benefits and that also immediately. 
• The effects of biological agents may be seen in the long run. It requires a lot of patience.
• Predators can’t survive without food, therefore eliminating all of their food sources isn’t the solution because the population of harmful pests will only be reduced leading predators’ reduction.
• The planning and development of an effective biological control system requires a significant investment of both time and resources.

FAQs on Biocontrol Agent

1. What is bio control agent?

Answer:

Biocontrol agents may be thought of as biological methods to the control of plant diseases and pests; they are often used to reduce the number of pest populations and to create the highest quality harvests that are free of pests. Plant diseases may also be managed with biocontrol agents in certain cases. 

2. Does biological control provide the desired results? 

Answer:

Regrettably, biological control is not a reliable method in every situation. It is less effective against native insect pests than it is against non-native pests, especially exotic ones.

3. What advantages does the use of biological control have over the use of weedicides and pesticides?

Answer:

The use of weedicides and pesticides is not recommended in favour of biological control since it does not cause damage to the crops. In contrast to chemical weed killers and insecticides, which degrade the soil quality, biological methods are safe for the environment and do not do any damage to the natural world. The use of chemicals is considerably more costly than this method.

4. How bio control agents are environment friendly?

Answer:

Biological control is one of the most promising sustainable agriculture applications. It reduces pest populations using live creatures, making it conservative, reliable, and environmentally friendly.