A review on the formulation of microbial-based biopesticides

Concerning the adverse effects of the indiscriminate use of chemical pesticides on the environment and human health, today, biopesticides as a safe and effective alternative are necessary for pest control in sustainable agriculture programs. The biopesticides discuss here is restricted to the products containing live microorganisms. Although, the considerable number of effective biocontrol strains have been identified, but one of the main reason in their unsuccessful commercialization is thelack of suitable formulation. There are many scientific and technical challenges in the process of biopesticide formulation. Nevertheless, due to technological advances and new social outlook toward safe food and environment, biopesticide market is growing and it is predicted that its share increases in the near future. In this review, we present an introduction about the necessity of the biopesticides application as a proper alternative to chemical pesticides and their role in modern agriculture. Then, we discuss general challenges in production, formulation and commercialization of microbial-based biopesticides. The procedures before formulation including selecting the effective strains and their preservation as well as the fermentation methods were briefly described. After that, the two types of formulation i.e. liquid and solid, their advantages and disadvantage, a various ranges of carriers and adjuvants and important environmental factors affecting the formulations were also outlined. Finally, different types of common formulation were separately introduced and exemplified.