Beneficial microorganisms

What are beneficial microorganisms?

Beneficial microorganisms, also known as beneficial microbes, are microorganisms that provide positive effects to their environment, including various biological systems and organisms. These microorganisms play a crucial role in biological pest control by effectively infecting and controlling harmful pests.

Beneficial microorganisms for pest control include fungi, bacteria and viruses that naturally occur in environments such as soil, water, and air. These microorganisms are harnessed for pest control through applications like biopesticides, where they are introduced to target pests, providing an eco-friendly alternative to chemical pesticides.

Well-known examples of beneficial microbes are the fungi Lecanicillium muscarium, Beauveria bassiana, Metarhizium anisopliae and Isaria fumosoroseus and the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis.