In agriculture, crop protection and production depend on insect pests controlled by entomopathogenic fungi. Understanding the pathogenicity, mechanism of action, formulations, and applications of a wide array of entomopathogenic fungi as biopesticides is a valid eco-friendly approach. The book provides advances in pathogenicity, biochemistry, virulence, and interaction that facilitate the application of Beauveria, Metarhizium, and other entomopathogens as potential biopesticides against major insect pests. Developments in bioactive compounds, secondary metabolites, enzymes, and toxins of entomopathogenic fungi have facilitated precise applications and management to target insect pests. Further advances in molecular aspects, the formulation of nanobiopesticides, and biofabricated technology paved the way for insect pest control. This book will be a helpful resource for students, teachers, researchers, scientists, and professionals in the industry working on biological sciences, applied entomology, mycology, zoology, forestry, biochemistry, molecular biology, and nanotechnology.
Sunil Kumar Deshmukh
Dr. Sunil Kumar Deshmukh is a Scientific Advisor to Greenvention Biotech, Uruli-Kanchan, Pune, India, and Agpharm Bioinnovations LLP, Patiala, Punjab, India. Veteran industrial mycologist spent a substantial part of his career in drug discovery at Hoechst Marion Roussel Limited [now Sanofi India Ltd.], Mumbai, and Piramal Enterprises Limited, Mumbai. He has also served TERI-Deaken Nano Biotechnology Centre, TERI, New Delhi, and as an Adjunct Associate Professor at Deakin University, Australia. He has to his credit 8 patents, 152 publications, and 23 books on various aspects of fungi and natural products of microbial origin. He is a president of the Association of Fungal Biologists (AFB) and a past president of the Mycological Society of India (MSI). He is a fellow of the Mycological Society of India, the Association of Biotechnology and Pharmacy, the Society for Applied Biotechnology, and the Maharashtra Academy of Science.
Kandikere Ramaiah Sridhar (150 words)
Dr. Kandikere R. Sridhar is an adjunct professor in the Department of Biosciences, Mangalore University, India. His main areas of research are ‘Diversity and Ecology of Fungi of the Western Ghats, Mangroves, and Marine Habitats’. He was an NSERC postdoctoral fellow and visiting professor at Mount Allison University, Canada; the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research at UFZ and Martin Luther University, Germany; and the Centre of Biology, University of Minho, Portugal. He was a recipient of the Shome Memorial Award (2004), Vice President (2013), President (2018), and Lifetime Achievement Awardee (2019) by the Mycological Society of India. He was a recipient of the Fellowship of the Indian Mycological Society, Kolkata (2014), Distinguished Asian Mycologist (2015), and Outstanding Leader in Education and Research, Association of Agricultural Technology of Southeast Asia (2016). According to a Stanford University survey, he is one of the top 2% of scientists in the field of mycology.