Biopesticides from Indigenous Marine-Derived Actinomycetes

The use of synthetic pesticides in crop production, brings the possibility of a nonselective toxicity and accumulation of toxic compounds in the environment. As an alternative, bioactive compounds from actinomycetes can provide a rich source for biodegradable pesticides. A variety of biological activities such as antibacterial, antifungal, herbicidal, insecticidal and anticoccidial are associated with these microbial metabolites. Studies on the production of bioactive compounds from marine-derived actinomycetes have been very few, compared to the terrestrial actinomycetes. With their unique metabolic and physiological capabilities, the marine actinomycetes can be useful producers of novel metabolites.