Formulations, microbial pesticides

Bateman, R. (1997) Methods of application of microbial pesticide formulations for the control of grasshoppers and locusts. Memoirs of the Entomological Society of Canada 171, 69-81. 

Section 3 Developing Formulations of Microbial Pesticides to Resist Sunlight Degradation... 

Formulation development for microbial pesticides is often the results of efforts from two opposing directions. One direction is from the production side that begins with production of the active agent that provides a technical product with specific characteristics. For example the fungus Beauveria bassiana is produced by solid media culture and provides a powdered product containing a high concentration of hydrophobic spores. In contrast, e bacteria Bacillus... 

In order to minimize waste as well as to direct selectivity, a number of approaches toward dissipation-control are being examined. For example, both volatilization and photodecomposition often can be regulated to a desired degree by incorporation of a non-volatile resin additive into the pesticide formulation (35). The technique appears promising for insecticides, and there is no reason to believe it should not work for herbicides also. Another approach is inhibition of microbial break-down for example, N-methylcarbamate inhibitors of hydrolytic enzymes, such as PCMC ( -chlorophenyl N-methylcarbamate), applied together with a herbicide such as chloropropham [isopropyl N-(3-chlorophenyl)carbamate] which is inactivated by soil microbes, more than doubled the effectiveness (36,37). 

The proof of activity of a biological pesticide is typically evaluated by a standardized bioassay except in the case of microbial metabolites where the major active ingredient(s) may be measured by analytical methods. Biological activity measurements, besides serving as a parameter for quality control, are an essential tool in the product development and optimization process. It is important to define the assay procedure in order to compare production batches and experimental formulations. These assays are typically used for product release or may be designed to assess specific aspects of product activity such as mobility in soils, colonization on leaf surface, etc. 

ROSS D.J. 1974. Influence of four pesticide formulations on microbial... 

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