Current Status and Recent Developments in Microbial Pesticide Use in India

For ensuring sustainable food security scientists are working hard to develop alternative eco-friendly technologies for crop protection to combat the ill effect of chemical pesticides. A large number of agriculturally important microorganisms (AIMs) are being used as biopesticides or biostimulants for the management of plant diseases. Despite extensive research on biopesticides globally their reach to end-users i.e. farmer is very low. The main barrier to not accepting biopesticides is poor quality products available in the Indian market. Issues related to commercialization, regulatory requirements in India, slow market growth and less acceptance of biopesticides by the farmers in India are discussed.