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Review of biology and ecology of micro-organism species used in plant protection

The main objective of this project is to carry out the review of the biological and ecological properties for 37 bacterial and fungal micro-organisms species that are typically used in plant protection. The study is a key building block of the EU policy aiming to enable the shift towards lower risk pesticides used by farmers by facilitating the approval and authorisation of micro-organisms used in plant protection products in line with the newly adopted EU data requirements. In the long-run, the results of the study are expected to contribute to more sustainable protection of crops.


The study aims to produce a comprehensive set of information that identifies biological and ecological features commonly shared by micro-organisms at the species level and, where applicable, lists properties that vary amongst the strains. To this end, a systematic literature review is employed to collect the relevant information for each micro-organism. Based on a comprehensive literature review framework and the review protocol established in line with the list of pre-defined features, the study team is carrying out a comprehensive review of the available information from relevant sources, including peer reviewed literature, EFSA/ECHA/EMA conclusions on risk assessments, and other relevant sources of information. The information available on biological and ecological properties of the relevant micro-organisms will be summarised for each micro-organism in a dedicated overview document listing properties which are conserved at species level and properties which vary amongst the strains within a given species.