Control of Insect Pests Using lethal Host specific Viruses

What is it about?

At the sound of the word "Viruses" many individuals cringe with fear for obvious reasons as viruses are renown pathogens of wide range infectious diseases at the tropics. This research review focused on the comprehensive study and extensive overview of a specific "deadly" class of insect specific viruses that can be used to control insect pest of agricultural importance both on the field and for management of post harvest crop losses; a menace that exist in the Nigerian Agricultural and food production system.

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Why is it important?

Over successive decades of trials, chemical insecticides have been employed for on-field and post harvest pest management in Nigeria. However, several discoveries across many research parlance have elaborated the grave demerits associated with the use of these synthetic fumigants for pest control; this ranging from prolonged food poisoning, insect pesticide resistances to many potent fumigants and accumulation of toxic residues of the mineral elements contained in these synthetics in the human body system which eventually results in many clinical complications. Hence, new research frontiers are needed for development of more efficient pesticide treatment delivery systems, specific but non-toxic tools for control of insect pests of agricultural importance that threatens our food security in Nigeria.

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