In creating a sustainable and healthy food system, reducing the pressure on the environment is a key element. As a non-chemical and targeted input, biocontrol can offer a systemic and balanced solution for sustainable agriculture. Bio Control the word means using living organisms for control. The term broadly means using the natural prey predator, parasitism, herbivory relations present in the ecosystem for controlling enemies to our crops. The agents such as predatory insects, mites, nematodes help to control pests are macrobial agent whereas bacteria, viruses when used they are known as microbial agent. Herbivorous insects and mites are used for weed control. This technique can be used in crop field as well as forest and greenhouse also. It is an easy ecofriendly approach using the nature itself for protecting crops. This technique talks about controlling the harmful ones below economic threshold limit, not eradication of them thus maintaining the ecological balance. One insect which is harmful for the enemy of crop can be beneficial for us (honeybee). They can help in pollination thus increasing the crop yield i.e., economic benefit, the outmost goal of us. Microbial agents help in solubilizing the nutrients making it easy for the plants to take.
Examples: -
Spotted lady beetle feed on the eggs and larvae of Colorado potato beetle. Larvae of many hoverflies species feed upon aphids. Bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis can be used against lepidopteran, coleopteran and dipteran pests.
Aphidius - parasitoid of aphids
Cucumeris - predatory mite of thrips
Encarsia - parasitoid of whitefly
Entomopathogenis nematodes - insecticidal nematodes which attack a range of insect pests
Green lacewing - predator of aphids and moth eggs
Persimilis - predatory mite of two spotted mite
Trichogramma - egg parasitoid of a range of insect pests
Bio control can have side effects also when the bio agents attack non targeted pests. The agents can become invasive in an area where they are newly introduced to control pests. Apart from the side effects, This can decrease the dependence over chemical pesticides and herbicides which cause environmental pollution. This technique can help us to get one step closer to the aim of sustainability, using the relationship among organisms in natural ecosystem we can produce, make profit, give a better resource to our future generation.
By Parimita Mondal
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