## 6 Genetics and Biotechnology in the Service of IPM  
The development and implementation of IPM strategies has been greatly enhanced by genetics and biotechnology in order to apply the ever-increasing array of molecular genetic methods. Advances in genetics and biotechnology may lead to improved pesticide formulations and delivery systems, enabling more precise and efficient application as well as the efficacy and safety of biological pesticides [244; 245; 246]. This will minimise the impact on non-target organisms and the environment. Biotechnology is supporting the production of biopesticides derived from beneficial microorganisms (such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses) that can target pests. As already discussed, the use of _B. thuringiensis_ in pest control has some drawbacks. To overcome these problems, some of the genetics and biotechnological solutions developed have consisted of improving its stability, specificity, and delivery, as recently reviewed in [PERSON] et al. [134]. According to European and US legislation, _B. thuringiensis_ can be applied as a spray or as a plant-incorporated protectant or PIP. The spray formulation must be approved by the European Commission and Member States and must comply with the requirements of the European Commission's Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety for the placing of plant protection products on the market [247] or by the Environmental Protection Agency. Also, it must comply with the requirements of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) [248]. The spray formulation must also respect the maximum residue levels (MRLs) established for _B. thuringiensis_ on the maximum residue levels of pesticides in or on foods and feeds of plant and animal origin [249] or those established in the Code of Federal Regulations [250]. As a PIP, _B. thuringiensis_ can be incorporated into the plant genome via genetic engineering so that the plant produces the _B. thuringiensis_ toxin in its tissues and protects itself from pest attack. The PIP must be authorised by the European Commission and the Member States and must comply with the requirements of the current directive [251] on the deliberate release of genetically modified organisms into the environment. In the USA, the PIP must be authorised by the EPA and must comply with the requirements of the Toxic Substances Control Act and FIFRA [252]. The PIP must also respect the MRLs established for _B. thuringiensis_ in European and USA regulation, as mentioned earlier. Research on spraying applications continues today, finding new solutions and improving existing ones [253; 254; 255; 256; 257; 258; 259; 260]. There is also an increasing amount of research on the genetic variability of _Bacillus thuringiensis_ and others in the genus for the improvement of PIPs [261; 262; 263; 264]. But the use of plant-incorporated protectants (PIPs) is not the only genetic approach that can boost IPM. Genetic modification can enhance the effectiveness of natural enemies used in biological control. This goal can be achieved by using conventional breeding or genetic engineering techniques. Conventional breeding involves crossing different strains or species of beneficial organisms, such as predators, parasitoids, or pathogens, to produce hybrids with improved traits, such as higher virulence, specificity, stability, or dispersal [265]. Genetic engineering involves the introduction of foreign genes or the modification of existing genes in beneficial organisms to confer new or enhanced traits, such as the resistance to pesticides, environmental stress, or host defence [76]. The genetic modification of beneficial organisms can offer some advantages over conventional biological control, such as increasing the efficacy, specificity, and persistence of these organisms, reducing the need for mass production and release, and facilitating their integration with other IPM tactics. However, the genetic modification of beneficial organisms also poses some challenges and risks, such as ethical, social, environmental, and regulatory issues.