Review on biopesticide production by Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki since 1990: Focus on bioprocess parameters

•Evaluation of the scientific literature related to Btk biopesticide production.•Evaluation of the geographical origin of Btk scientific literature.•Investigation of Btk bioprocess parameters. Irrespective use of chemical pesticides has led, over the last decades, to several problems such as soil, water and food sources pollution, and generation of a selective pressure causing the emergence of pest resistance. Consequently, researchers have been focusing more on the use of biological control as an alternative strategy. Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is one of the most widely studied bacteria in industrial biotechnology and commercialized as an environmentally sustainable biopesticide. Therefore, a huge interest has been allocated for research on this bacterium and several scientific studies have been published on the issue. In this review, we tried to evaluate the scientific production over the last thirty years, for the first time, in terms of number and geographical origin, focusing particularly on B. thuringiensis kurstaki (Btk). It is worth emphasizing that the Btk process engineering involving factors affecting growth, sporulation and toxin formation yields by Bt has not been fully investigated in previous reviews. To this end, the second section of this review provided an updated survey about these conditions, such as nutritional requirements, culture media and fermentation technologies. Relevant information was collected in comparative tables that could be very useful for the scientific community interested in Btk-based biopesticides.