Genetically improved baculoviruses for insect pest management

摘要

Baculoviruses are of interest as an ecologically sound means of insect pest control. The baculovirus family as a whole is restricted to hosts in the phylum Arthropoda, while individual members of this large family infect only a few closely related species. This specificity provides a novel means of targeting specific insect Species for control while having little or no impact on populations of beneficial organisms, including nontarget arthropods. In addition to their safety to nontarget organisms, the baculoviruses are of particular interest because: (i) they cause mortality in the target insect population, (ii) geographically distinct populations of insects exhibit relatively uniform susceptibility to a virus, (iii) individual populations of insects do not acquire resistance readily upon continual virus pressure, (iv) baculoviruses can be produced in large quantities, (v) they can be formulated for easier application and long-term storage, (vi) they can be applied easily using methods similar to those employed in the application of chemical pesticides, and (vii) they are compatible with chemical pesticides. Collectively, these properties provide an overwhelming case for pursuing the development of baculoviruses as biological alternatives to chemical pest control.