Gerardo Puopolo 
Microbial Biocontrol Agents [EPUB ebook] 
Developing Effective Biopesticides

The negative impact of chemical pesticides on human wellbeing and the environment has encouraged the development of eco-friendly alternatives for the management of plant pathogens. However, only a small number of microbial biocontrol agents (m BCAs) have been developed, registered and used in the management of plant diseases. This book analyses the deployment of m BCAs for the development of novel microbial biopesticides, considering the main plant-beneficial traits, procedures needed for effective formulations and the processes used for their validation. To guide the readers through the world of microbial biopesticides, the book starts with a chapter dedicated to the regulations that need to be followed for the development of final products. Readers will understand the importance of formulation and mode of action of m BCAs in developing microbial biopesticides. They will become familiar with key m BCAs such as Ampelomyces quisqualis, Bacillus spp., Trichoderma spp., and Pseudomonas spp., understanding the importance of formulation for their application in the field. This book explains the use of m BCAs to control post-harvest diseases and the potential of endophytic microorganisms as next-generation microbial biopesticides. A final chapter provides a useful workflow for the selection of new m BCAs and describes microbial species including promising m BCAs that might be developed as new microbial biopesticides.
– Gives useful insights into the practicalities of regulation of m BCAs
– Describes the underlying biology that it is critical to developing m BCAs
– Provides case studies for key m BCA species
– Indicates microbial species exploitable for the development of new microbial biopesticides
For students and researchers involved in crop protection and biological control

Om författaren

Gerado Puopolo is Associate Professor of Plant Pathology at the University of Trento, Italy. He received his Ph D from the University of Naples ’Federico II’, Italy and spent several years as Post-Doc and researcher at this university and Edmund Mach Foundation. The finding of novel sustainable strategies for the control of plant pathogens represents the core of his research. He focused on the characterisation of fungal and bacterial biocontrol agents belonging the genera Ampelomyces, Bacillus, Pseudomonas and Trichoderma. He has studied bacterial biocontrol agents belonging to the genus Lysobacter, selecting and characterising L. capsici AZ78, one of the few biocontrol agents effective agaist Phytophthora infestans and Plasmopara viticola, respectively causal agents of potato late blight and grapevine downy mildew, two devastating disease worldwide. His works helped finely dissect the mode of action of Lysobacter biocontrol agents and the development of a new biospesticide with a Lysobacter strain as main active ingredient.