Jianquan Li

Hainan Institute of Troppical Agricultural Resources (HITAR), Sanya, 572025, Hainan, China
Author    Correspondence author
Molecular Microbiology Research, 2024, Vol. 14, No. 2   
Received: 20 Feb., 2024    Accepted: 27 Mar., 2024    Published: 09 Apr., 2024

This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Rice, the staple food of more than half of the world's population, faces serious threats from a variety of pests during its cultivation, resulting in critical losses in yield and quality. Although the use of chemical pesticides is effective to a certain extent, its potential threats to environmental safety, human health, and the induction of pest resistance have aroused widespread concern. This study explores the potential of entomopathogenic fungi as a sustainable pest management approach in rice fields. These naturally occurring fungi work by infecting and killing pests without causing harm to non-target organisms or the rice microbiome. We discuss the biological properties of well-known fungal species such as Metarhizium anisopliae, Beauveria bassiana and Paecilomyces farinosus, including their life cycles, host infection mechanisms and pest control efficacy. This study reviews some case studies that demonstrate control efficiency comparable to chemical treatment, proposes recommendations for further research, and highlights the potential of integrating insect pathogenic fungi into sustainable agricultural practices, emphasizing their role in achieving environmentally friendly pest management while maintaining high agricultural productivity.

Rice; Entomopathogenic fungi; Rice pest control; Sustainable agriculture; Biological pesticides; Eco-friendly