PAID ACCESS | Published on : 03-Feb-2026 | Pages: 28-36 | Doi : 10.37446/edibook212025/28-36
Cereal crops such as wheat, rice, maize, etc. are vital to the global food security but their productivity is significantly threatened by insect pest infestations, causing major yield losses. Conventional reliance on chemical pesticides, although effective in short term, has resulted in environmental hazards and resistance development in pests. For sustainable pest management, entomopathogens which are a diverse group of insect pathogenic microorganisms offer eco-friendly and sustainable alternatives within an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) framework, thereby reducing dependence on synthetic insecticides while preserving ecological integrity. They possess unique infection mechanisms, high host specificity and are seamlessly compatible with other IPM components. Despite challenges related to their environmental stability and field persistence, advancement in strain improvement, formulation technology has led to their increased field performance. Integrating entomopathogens into pest management regimes contribute to sustainable agriculture by minimizing chemical inputs, mitigating resistance development and supporting long-term agroecosystem health. This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of various entomopathogens, highlighting their modes of action, efficacy and field applications in cereal cropping systems in controlling key pests such as stem borers, armyworms, cutworms, and rootworms.
Entomopathogens, Cereal crops, IPM, Sustainable pest management
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