Virus entomopatógenos en el control biológico de insectos = Entomopathogenic viruses in the biological control of insects

This chapter presents a summary of the possibilities of use of virus to control insect pests of crops. Since the first relatively empirical works to the current developments, the potential of different families of viruses to regulate insect populations has been recognized. However, only viruses of one family, the baculovirus, have been able to be registered as biological control agents. The process necessary to go from discovering one viral isolate to produce a biopesticide is shown with real examples. The strategies in this use have been conducted in one case to the emergence of resistance, which allows to raise the differences between the natural mode of action and that applied in the agroecosystems, proposing new and more sustainable ways of use, from an ecological point of view.