Biological control with entomopathogenic fungi: history and current use in Chile

Chile has long been a pioneer in biological pest control. As early as 1903, exotic natural enemies were imported to the country and by the late 1930s, a national insectary was established. A small but active group of scientists sent Chilean predators and parasitoids overseas, and at the same time received natural enemies targeting the major pest problems of the country's agriculture and forestry production. Chile was considered a reliable source for biological control agents (BCAs) and many of the classical biological control books cite lists of natural enemies traded in the second half of the 20th century. Comparatively, the use of entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) for biological control in Chile lagged behind, despite them being well known and used in many other countries. EPF were sporadically studied between the 1970s and 1990s and their importance as BCAs became known by the change of the century, especially after a nationwide campaign of collecting and identifying. Currently, at least four fungal spore-based biopesticides are registered for application against pestiferous arthropods in Chilean agroecosystems, with several more in the pipeline. At first, these fungal biopesticides were focused as BCAs of subterranean pests, but now foliage pests are also controlled by these type products.