AN OVERVIEW ON BIOLOGICAL CONTROL OF INSECT PESTS: REVIEW ARTICLE
Prakriti Ghimire
Abstract
Natural ways of biocontrol are the best option to combat insect pests for ensuring maximum protection against crop failure. Since Nepal is blessed with natural resources, a huge number of biological control agents are available for the exploration of possible management of insect pests without causing any deleterious effects on the environment. They are less toxic, stable, and of no side effects when used in crop fields. The present generation of farmers is in dire need of sustainable biocontrol strategies that ensure optimum crop protection against harmful pests. This paper emphasizes various such biocontrol options that are capable of checking the pest population to prevent farmers from going through economic loss due to crop failure. Control measures with direct natural origin must be preferred over chemically synthesized ones if we hope to leave this Earth for our future generations as well. Researches on this field are still scanty. But with the healthy collaboration of government, research bodies ad local farmers, they could lead to the ultimate solution of insect pests through biological control methods soon.