Plant-Growth-Promoting Bacteria (PGPB) against Insects and Other Agricultural Pests

Abstract

The interest in using plant-growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) as biopesticides is significantly growing as a result of the discovery of new properties of certain beneficial microbes in protecting agricultural crops. While several rhizobial species have been widely exploited for their ability to optimize plant use of environmental resources, now the focus is shifted to species that are additionally capable of improving plant health and conferring resistance to abiotic stress and deleterious biotic agents. In some cases, PGPB species may directly act against plant pathogens and parasites through a variety of mechanisms, including competition, protective biofilm formation, and the release of bioactive compounds. The use of this type of bacteria is in line with the principles of ecosustainability and integrated pest management, including the reduction of employing chemical pesticides. Several strains of Bacillus, Paenibacillus, Brevibacillus, Pseudomonas, Serratia, Burkholderia, and Streptomyces species have been the subject of specific studies in this direction and are under evaluation for further development for their use in biological control. Accordingly, specific case studies are presented and discussed.