ABSTRACT
Genetic engineering has been used in plant breeding programs for increased resistance to insect damage, disease, drought, and salinity, as well as the improvement of crop quality and yield. In nature, baculoviruses can play an important role in the regulation of insect populations. Based on the impact of natural epizootics and the environmental safety associated with viral pesticides, baculoviruses are attractive alternatives to chemical pesticides. The transgenic plants and genetically engineered microbes have been used to effect pest resistance. Biotechnology offers many new techniques and opportunities for augmenting current pest control strategies and for developing effective and safe alternatives to chemical pesticides. During the 1980s, biotechnology has had a major impact in agricultural research and development. Biotechnology may provide the tools needed to overcome many of the shortcomings associated with the use of naturally occurring viral pesticides. The type of genetic engineering strategy employed will probably be dictated more by safety considerations than efficacy.
