The History of Baculovirology in Africa

Baculovirology has been studied on the African continent for development of insect virus-based biopesticides and, to a much lesser extent, vaccine production and delivery, since 1960s. In this review, we focus only baculoviruses as agricultural pests in Africa. At least 11 species baculovirus have discovered or continent, some with several distinct isolates, objective most cases being biopesticide. These include nucleopolyhedroviruses Helicoverpa armigera, Cryptophlebia peltastica, Spodoptera exempta, frugiperda, littoralis, Maruca vitrata, well granuloviruses Cydia pomonella, Plutella xylostella, Thaumatotibia (Cryptophlebia) leucotreta, Choristoneura occidentalis, Phthorimaea operculella. Eleven different baculovirus-based are recorded registered commercially available continent. Baculoviruses isolated, researched, utilised field trials, and/or deployed at 13 countries. Baculovirus research is ongoing Africa, researchers confident that further novel isolates will be discovered, benefit environmentally responsible pest management, not Africa but also elsewhere.