Research Product

To date, very few foreign genes have been evaluated for their potential to enhance the pesticidal properties of baculoviruses. The results clearly indicate that future research in this area will lead to the development of recombinant pesticides with properties equivalent to many of the synthetic chemical pesticides. Although efficacy is a major concern in the pesticide industry, the cost/benefit ratio is the major factor which regulates the commercial development of pesticides. Accordingly, there are a multitude of economic factors which will determine the utility of viral pesticides. The costs to develop and register a wild-type baculovirus pesticide is estimated at less than a million dollars. In the U.S., six wild-type baculovirus pesticides have been registered: the Helicoverpazea MNPV, Orgyia pseudotsugata MNPV, Lymantria dispar MNPV, Neodiprion sertifer SNPV, Spodoptera exigua MNPV and AcMNPV. The additional cost to register a recombinant viral pesticide will depend primarily upon the health/environmental attributes associated with the properties of the foreign pesticidal protein. It should be recognized that recombinant viral pesticides will be required only for certain markets, such as markets requiring fast-acting pesticides because cosmetic damage cannot be tolerated. Clearly,these types of agronomic markets will require genetically enhanced baculovirus pesticides. However, there are other market niches in which wild-type viral pesticides may be equally appropriate, such as the control of many forest pests. In conclusion, the need for alternative pesticide strategies in agriculture and forestry has created opportunities for the development and commercialization of wild-type and genetically enhanced viral pesticides. The current economic trends and evolving scientific advances make these biological control agents beneficial from the health/environmental perspective as well as an economic standpoint.