- Fungi can be effective biocontrol agents for controlling plant pathogens and insect pests. They compete for nutrients and space with pathogens, produce toxins, and act as parasites. - Beauveria bassiana is a commonly used fungal biocontrol agent that naturally infects many arthropod species. It is commercially developed as an insecticide under the name Panther BB. - While biocontrol reduces pesticide use and is environmentally friendly, it also has disadvantages like high production costs, requirement for additional control methods, and difficulty mass producing some agents. Overall, biocontrol provides a sustainable alternative to chemicals for integrated pest management.

1. GOVT.HOLKER(MODEL AUTONOMOUS)
SCIENCE COLLEGE INDORE (M.P)
TOPIC : FUNGI AS BIOCONTROL AGENT
GUIDED BY
SARIKA TUNDELE MAAM
PRESENTED BY :
MAHESH BHIYAJA
M.Sc 1ST SEM

2. • Biological control is the process which decreases the inoculum density of the
pathogenic microbes, present in dormant state by the other microbes.
Generally, it involves either the naïve or genetically modified microbes which
reduce the effect of pests, pathogen, and diseases. The plant disease is
controlled by the pesticides, which are now extensively used. Due to excessive
use of pesticides, socioeconomic and environmental pollution issues have
been resulted, which demand the alternative method to reduce content of
chemical pesticides. Biological control is an eco-friendly method employed to
control the plant diseases, with the aim of developing a sustainable system in
agriculture. Biological control mecha- nism involves the interaction among the
antagonists and pathogens, which aid in selection and manipulation to
develop an effective control system. Currently, this approach is employed
when no other alternative is available. Emergent of fungal antagonistic has
made it a promising biological control strategy to control the plant diseases.
Introduction

3. Significanceof Biological Control
• Biological control provides protection to the plant throughout its
cultivation period. The biological agents proliferate rapidly in soil and
leave no residue. Being non- toxic, it is safer for humans and plants.
This approach is not limited for controlling the disease; additionally, it
also enhances the growth (especially root) and yield of the crop. Due
to easy handling and manufacturing, it can be used in combination
with bio-fertilizers. Moreover, it is a cheap, safe, and eco-friendly
method.

4. Importance of Biocontrol Agent
• Chemical pesticides were used to enhance crop yield, but extensive use
affects the nontargeted organism and surrounding environment. Thus, the
current scenario demands the eco-friendly approach for controlling the
pest, as chemical pesticides being not suitable for cultivation of crop.
Bacteria, fungi, nematodes, protozoans, and virus have been extensively
studied because of advantageous characteristics. Overexploitation of
fungicides has resulted in gathering of the toxic molecules which are
harmful to the environment and humans, but pathogenic microbes have
adapted themselves by getting resistant to it. In order to overcome this
global prob- lem related to chemical control, alternative approaches are
being exploited. Additionally, this biological control approach is highly
effective for sustainable agriculture and is a vital component of integrated
pest management (IPM) program.

5. This before & after pictures shows how effective biocontrol agent can
be .
The first set of picture shows biocontrol success in tongarirro national
park ( the weed is heather- culluna vulgaris and the agent is the
heather beetle – lochmaea suturalis)

6. This before & after pictures shows how effective biocontrol agent can
be . The second set of picture shows the success story of a fungus
(Kordyana brasiliensis) that attacks the weed Tradescantia-
(Tradescantia Fluminensis)

7. Efficacy of Microbial Biocontrol Agents
• In addition to properties discussed above, there are few amendments which
enhance the efficiency of this method.
• First, inappropriate usage of this technique should be prevented, which is
mostly because of improper knowledge.
• Second, one should be able differentiate failure which is cause by low-
quality inoculum
• Moreover, inefficacy occurs because the compost/fertilizers containing
biocontrol agents are not of superior quality as available in registered plant
products.
• To improve the efficiency of the biocontrol agents, the strain should be
assessed and verified against the tar- geted disease plus optimum condition
should also be noted.
• Specific substrates and carriers also aid in enhancing the efficacy of the
agents. Exploration of effective strains will also improve the quality of
biocontrol agents and lessen the required amount.

8. Fungi as biocontrol agent
• Fungi possess a number of characteristics that make them
potentially ideal bio control agents.
• Firstly, many saprophytic species antagonize, representatives of
all the pest organisms, including plant pathogenic fungi, weeds
and insects.
• Secondly, fungi can be readily grown in culture so that large
quantities can be economically produced for release, mainly as
spores or mycelial fragments, into the environment.
• These inoculants then germinate or grow to produce active
mycelium which can parasitize or otherwise inhibit the pest
without damaging the non-target organisms. Fungi also survive
for relatively long periods as resting bodies, and can then
germinate to grow and control the target population thereby
making continual re-inoculation with the bio-control agent
unnecessary.

9. Example of Bio Control Agents Used Commerciall
1 Trichoderma harzianum—White rot onion
2 .Phlebia gigantean—Heterbasidion root rot pine
3.Sporidesmium sclerotivorum—Lettuce drop lettuce
4. Talaromyces flavus—Damping off sugarbeet.

11.  Reduce the negative effects of plant pathogens and promote
positive responses in plant.
 Inoculated plants are sensitized to respond more rapidly to
pathogen attack
 Alleviation of abiotic stresses
 Improve photosynthetic efficiency, especially in plants subjected to
various stresses
 Increase nutrients absorption and nitrogen use efficiency in plants
 Enhance the growth and yield parameters
Role Of biocontrol agent
1
3

12. • Competition for nutrient and space.
• Biocontrolagent decreases the availabilityof a
particular substance thus limiting the growth of the plant
pathogenic agents
• Trichoderma spp produce siderophores that
chelate iron and stop the growth of other fungi

13. Use of Fungi to Control Insect Pest:
Over 400 species of fungi attack insects and mites, so there is great potential
for the use of these organisms as biological insecticides. As insect bio control
agents, fungi are markedly superior to other microorganisms because they
are generally non-specific in their action and are useful against a wide range
of insect pests.
Most of the so-called entomopathogenic fungi are phycomycetes and
Deuteromycetes. Spores of these fungi attack either the external or gut
cuticle of their insect hosts. They then germinate and hyphae penetrate the
haemocoel. Death may result from the production of a toxin by the fungus.

14. Beauveria bassiana,Introduction
Is a fungus
Grows naturally in soils throughout the world and acts as a parasite on
various arthropod species,
Causes white muscardine disease in silkworms
mostly Belongs to the entomopathogenic fungi.
It is being used as a biological insecticide to control a number of
pests such as termites, thrips, whiteflies, aphids and different beetles.

15. Beauvaria, Commercially…
Panther - BB, a microbial insecticide, is of fungal
origin causing a lethal disease (white muscadine
disease) in insects.
Wide variety of insects like white flies, aphids, mealy
bugs, thrips, leaf hoppers etc. succumb to the
application of Panther - BB. Panther BB does not
leave any residualtoxicity on the crops

16. Advantages of BioControl
• Biological control provides an alternative to the use of synthetic pesticides
with the advantages of greater public acceptance and reduced
environmental impact
• Antagonism between species of naturally competing fungi has been
observed
• Trichoderma species are free-living fungi which are highly interactive in
root, soil and foliar environments. Considered to be eager colonizers and
particularly invasive fungi, they work against fungal phytopathogens either
indirectly by competing for nutrients and space, modifying environmental
conditions or promoting plant growth and plant defensive mechanisms and
antibiosis; or directly through mechanisms such as mycoparasitism.served
in virtually every fungal ecosystem

17. Advantages of Biological Control
• Biological control is an eco-friendly approach, as it is nontoxic to
plants and a non- targeted microbe, decreases the pesticide
accumulation in food, regulates the activ- ity of natural predators, and
increases the microbial diversity in managed system. This process is
less prominent but more stable and long-lasting, in comparison to
physical and chemical controls (Baker and Cook 1974). Some of the
advantages of biological controls are listed below:

18. 1. Biocontrol Agents Are Host Specific
2. Nontoxic to Plants
3. Application by Conventional Methods
4. Ability to Multiply in Their Target Host
5. Production Technology Available
Advantages of Biological Control

19. High Cost of Production
7. Additional Control Measures
8. Time of Application
9. Mortality
10. Viability
11. Difficulty in Mass Production
12. Legal Protection
Disadvantages of Biocontrol Agents

20. Conclusion
• The extensive use of fertilizer and pesticides has resulted in
environmental pollution (especially, soil pollution). Over-usage of
these agrochemicals and rumors created by the pesticide rivals have
significantly reformed the attitude of consumers to use pesticides in
their agricultural land. Controlling the large proportion of pest and
disease has elevated the usage of these hazardous chemicals for
proper management. Generation of resistant against fungicide and
pesticide is emerging as new problem. Thus, there is a need to
employ eco-friendly pesticides as they are less toxic and have low
residual problem and low level of resistance. Thus, biological control
approach should be used in collaboration, as efficiency of one
approach varies with time, location, and environmental conditions.

21. THANK YOU