Book excerpt: This is an essential guidebook, providing a comprehensive overview of insect viruses and pest management. Part One of this volume explores the rationale behind the employment of insect pathogenic viruses in pest control and documents the assessment of biological activity, the ecology of baculoviruses, control strategies, virus production and formulation, and the conduct and recording of field control trials. Part Two comprises an authoritative global survey of current practice, R&D, and up-to-date technical studies of insect viruses and their application in pest management. This survey was compiled with the assistance of a panel of world-wide experts and will prove an invaluable and unique data source. Building on the key topics discussed in Part One, easy-to-follow, practical protocols are presented in Part Three, including detailed accounts of standard operating procedures for working with insects, isolation, propagation (in vivo and in vitro), purification, characterization and enumeration of viruses, suggestions for good laboratory layout and design, mass production methods, formulation and quality control. The importance of external environmental factors concerning virus survival and efficacy is also not forgotten, and in the final part the effects of solar radiation and the relationships between viruses and plant surfaces are discussed. Indispensable reading for all professionals and students interested in insect virology and pest control, this book is a comprehensive reference manual.