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DEVELOPMENT OF GENETICALLY ENHANCED BACULOVIRUS PESTICIDES
Citation:
Wood, H. DEVELOPMENT OF GENETICALLY ENHANCED BACULOVIRUS PESTICIDES. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/A-93/008 (NTIS PB93149235), 1991.
Description:
The assessment of potential environmental impacts of genetically improved viral pesticides will include an evaluation of the properties of the foreign gene product(s) as well as the biological properties of altered virus itself. It is anticipated that in the near future several types of foreign gene insets will be available to enhance the pesticidal properties of baculoviruses. he current field release studies are collecting much of the information which will be needed to assess the environmental safety of these new pesticides. here are, of course, may additional issues which need resolution for successful commercialization of these pesticides. Of primary concern will be the cost-to-benefit ratios as determined by production costs, stability, application technology, and field efficacy. n the majority of instances, the use of viral pesticides will be based solely on cost-to-benefit ratios as compared to synthetic pesticides. espite the improvements afforded through biotechnology, it is clear that viral and other microbial pesticides will only reduce, not eliminate, the agricultural retirements for synthetic pesticides. Biological pesticides are among the best solutions to reducing crop losses in the absence of ecological disturbances and potential health hazards.
