Entomopathogenic fungi as biological agents in forest plant pest control: A systematic review
Abstract
Entomopathogenic fungi have seen application in pest control due to being more friendly to the environment compared to synthetic insecticides. This research aims to determine the potentials of entomopathogenic fungi by identifying research reports regarding the effectiveness of fungi as biological agents for controlling pest insect attacks on forest plants. This research used a systematic review to enable extended analysis. The systematic review was performed on secondary data obtained from 51 scientific articles concerning tests of entomopathogenic fungi on forest plants pest insects. The research publications originated from multiple continents and a surge in the number of publications took place in 2020. Curculionids were the most frequently found pest insects with 14 species encountered. The most frequently found and tested stadium of insects on the field was the adult stage used in 39 researches. The most dominant fungi used in the researches were ascomycetes with 31 species, ten species among them originating from the Cordycipitaceae family. The most used application methods were direct spraying and immersion, each with a 33% percentage of usage.
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a systematic review. Its evidence level is 1 of 5 (Highest · pooled evidence). Pooled evidence from several studies sits at the top of the evidence pyramid.
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