Microbial Chitinases: Effective Biocontrol Agents

Synthetic chemical fungicides, insecticides, and pesticides have been extensively used over the past 50 years due to their effectiveness and ease of use. The widespread use of chemical pesticides causes serious health problems to humans and other life forms and can also induce pathogen resistance among them. It also results in hazardous environmental pollution. The public concern about the safety of these chemicals has led to more rigorous regulatory requirements. As a result, many of the most effective chemical pesticides have failed to pass registration. The removal of these chemical pesticides from the market coupled with the emergence of herbicides and insecticide-resistant pests has heightened interest in the development of biologically based pest control strategies ( Jackson, 1997 ).