Abstract

VILLARREAL-DELGADO, María Fernanda et al. The genus Bacillus as a biological control agent and its implications in the agricultural biosecurity. Rev. mex. fitopatol [online]. 2018, vol.36, n.1, pp.95-130. ISSN 2007-8080.  https://doi.org/10.18781/r.mex.fit.1706-5.

The genus Bacillus is widely distributed in agro-systems, being one of its main applications the control of diseases in agricultural crops. The present review describes and analyzes the genus Bacillus, and its main mechanisms of action, such the excretion of antibiotics, toxins, siderophores, lytic enzymes and Induced systemic resistance, focused on its ability to be used as biocontrol agent of pests and diseases in plants; as well as its use in formulations of biopesticides, which have been incorporated into Integrated Pest Management programs. In addition, the Bacillus genus is analyzed in terms of agricultural biosecurity, as well as the principal criteria for the effective selection of biocontrol agents, considering strains not pathogenic to humans, and that do not negatively impact the microbial communities of agro-ecosystems, as a side-effect by its non-specific biological activity against a particular plant pathogen.

Keywords : biocontrol; phytopathogens; biopesticides.