.

ISSN 2063-5346
For urgent queries please contact : +918130348310

The role of fungal-based biopesticides in the fight against global warming

Main Article Content

Surya Senthilkumar
» doi: 10.48047/ecb/2023.12.si4.1504

Abstract

Agricultural practices, including chemical pesticides, are responsible for around 30% of the worldwide emissions that contribute to climate change. Insect pests and weeds will invade the crops more often due to a longer growing season and a warmer environment, which will probably result in more chemical pesticide use, which in turn causes harmful emissions that worsen climate change in coming decades. Unlike traditional methods, pesticides made from natural components such as plants, animals, etc. are considered less harmful to the environment and can safeguard the ecosystem from the negative impacts of global warming. Widely used entomopathogenic environment-friendly fungi such as Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae have the ability to penetrate directly into pest cuticles to cause death. The fungus continues to grow from inside out of the carcass and disperse conidial spores to cause new infections to continue the cycle. Thus, the whole process protects the crops from pathogens without adding harmful gases to the environment. The present paper discusses the need for the use of fungal biopesticides as an alternative to chemical biopesticides with a focus on the impact on global warming and human health.

Article Details