The document discusses biopesticides, defined as natural substances used to control pests and pathogens, promoting agricultural sustainability while reducing reliance on chemical pesticides. It covers the history, classification (microbial, plant, biochemical), advantages, and disadvantages of biopesticides, highlighting their specific actions against target pests and their generally lower environmental impact. It concludes that biopesticides represent a better option for pest control compared to traditional chemical methods.

1. BIOPESTICIDES
By-
Dr. Rachana Choudhary
Asstt. Prof.
Shri Shankaracharya Mahavidyalaya, Junwani Bhilai

2. SYNOPSIS
1 Introduction
2 History of Bio-pesticides
3 Classification of Bio-pesticides
Microbial pesticides
Plant-Pesticides
Biochemical pesticides
4. Advantages of using biopesticides
5. Disadvantages of using biopesticides
6.Conclusion
8.References

3. INTRODUCTION
Any substance or mixture of substances intended for
use as a plant regulator, defoliant, or desiccant are
defined as pesticides. The pesticides has played
important role in:
• Controlling pests and plant disease vectors
• Protection of stored grains from pests
• Controlling human/livestock disease vectors &
nuisances organisms
• Prevent and control organisms that harm other
human activities and structures

4. • Due to uses of pesticide crops protecting from
pests and hence increasing the total crop
production.
• The indiscriminate use of pesticides
Contamination of water reservoirs
Contamination of soil
Reduced soil friendly microbes and worms
Biomagnifications in food chain
Risks to biodiversity and endangered species
Human and animal health
Pest resistance

5. • For the survival of human beings on earth, it is
mandatory to maintain balance between the
agricultural sustainability and environmental
safety.
• The development of alternates that are eco-
friendly and can harness the negative effects of
chemical pesticides on environment is the
major challenge of this era.
• Bio-pesticides are natural substances that can
decrease the dependence on chemical
pesticides, impart sustainability to agriculture
and provide environmental safety.

6. • Bio-pesticides are those products that are
derived from natural products (minerals,
bacteria, plants and animals, and are used to
control pests and pathogens.
• Throughout the world, there is a confusion
regarding the use of term ‘biopesticide’.
Therefore, International Biocontrol
Manufacturer’s Association (IBMA) and
International Organization for Biocontrol
(IOBC, 2008) used the term ‘Biocontrol’ as an
alternative of Bio-pesticides (Guillon, 2003).

7. History of bio-pesticides
• 17th century when the plant extracts of nicotine were used as bio-
control against the plum beetles.
• Agostine Bassi in 1835 showed that the white-muscadine fungus
(Beauveria bassiana) could be used as biological controls against
silkworm.
• 20th century, the number of studies and proposal for bio-controls
were developed. Among them, the first and most accepted bio-
controls were spores of the bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt).
• In 1901, Japanese biologist Shigetane Ishiwata isolated Bt from a
diseased silkworm. After ten years, Ernst Berliner in Thuringen,
Germany, rediscovered it from the diseased caterpillar of flour
moth. In 1911, the pathogen Bt was classified as type species
Bacillus thuringiensis.

8. • In the early 1920s, the French started using Bt as a biological
insecticide. The first commercial Bt product i.e. Sporeine was
developed by France in 1938.
• Another plant based product used widely during 1917 by US
Navy was from pyrethrum extracts. They used it with kerosene
oil and sprayed for the control of houseflies and mosquitoes.
• In 1924, Staudinger and Ruzicka, working in Switzerland,
reported that the insecticidal properties of pyrethrum are due to
the presence of two esters which were named as Pyrethrin I
and Pyrethrin II.
• In India, under the Insecticide Act, 1968, so far only 12 types
of bio-pesticides have been registered. Neem based bio-
pesticides, Bacillus thuringiensis, NPV and Trichoderma are
the major bio-pesticides produced and used in India.

9. Classification of Bio-pesticides
• Bio-pesticides can be classified in different
ways depending on the source organism, active
ingredient, mode of action etc. However, the
most common classification is based on the
source organism classified into three major
classes as follow:
1. Microbial Pesticides
2. Plant-Pesticides
3. Biochemical Pesticides

10. (1) Microbial pesticides-
Microbial pesticides are composed of microscopic living organism
(viruses , bacteria ,fungi, protozoa or nematodes)or toxin produced by
these organisms It is relatively specific for its target pests.
Bacteria as biopesticides Bacillus thuringiensis,
Virus as biopesticides Viruses of group baculovirus are the most potential
biocontrol agent. They are highly specific and can quickly infect large
populations of insects.
Fungi as biopesticides
Trichoderma species have long been used to control the root-pathogenic
fungus Rhizoctonia solans. Beauveria and Metarhizium fungi cause
white and green muscardine disease of insects. Both these fungi infect
insects through their cuticle or mouth parts. They produce toxins.

11. Some important microbial pesticides :-
Bacteria as Biopesticides
Bacillus thuringiensis :-
 Bacillus thuringiensis is a spore forming bacteria which
produced a crystal protein which , is processed into toxin
present in insect mid –gut .
 The most widely used microbial pesticides are subspecies of
Bacillus thuringiensis which can control certain insects in
cabbage, potatoes, and other crops.

12. Mode of action of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)
When parasporal crystalline crystal is ingested by the target
insect.
This crystalline structure is activated in to the gut of target
insect in the presence of proteolytic enzymes & consist of pH-
7.5to 8.5
This result in the activation of parasporal crystalline crystal
This activated form is called as toxin which gets itself
inserted into the membrane of epithelial cells of the insects
gut.
And ,this results in the formation of ion channels through
which there occur on excessive loss of cellular ATP
As a result ,cellular metabolism ceases, insect stop feeding
& becomes dehydrated & finally dies.

13. Pseudomonas syringae :-
 Pseudomonas syringae is rod –shaped Gram
negative bacterium with polar flagella .
 Pseudomonas syringae tend to be favoured by wet
cool condition optimum temperature disease 12 -25
c.
 Some saprotrophic strains of P. syringae have
been as biocontrol agents against postharvest rots .
 P. syringae which can control certain insects in
apple ,lemons and grapefruit .

14. Virus as Biopesticides
• Baculovirus Viruses of group baculovirus are the most
potential biocontrol agent. They are highly specific and can
quickly infect large populations of insects.
• The baculoviruses (family: Baculoviridae) are a group of
large DNA viruses that infect insects. These viruses are well
known for their utility and versatility as gene expression
vectors, biological pesticides, and vectors for transduction
of mammalian cells .
• The nucleopolyhedrosis Virus (NPV)are used for insect
control on a commercial in india for control of Helicoverpa
armigera.
• Another baculoviruse, the granulosis viruses(GV), is also
promising and may achieve a commercial status for
Spodoptera litura control in india

15. Fungal biopesticide
•Tricoderma pesticide
•Tricoderma is a fungicide effective against soil born
root rot.
Metarizium anisopliae :-
• It infects spittegbugs,rhinoceros beetles .
Beauveria bassiana :-
controls colorado potato beetle.
Nomuraea riley :-
Control soybean caterpillars.

16. 2) Plant-Pesticides
Plant-Pesticides are pesticidal substances that
plants produce from genetic material that has been
added to the plant.
For example: - scientists can take the gene for the
Bt pesticides protein, and introduce the gene into the
plant's own genetic material. Then the plant, instead
of the Bt bacterium, manufactures the substance that
destroys the pest

18. Caterpillar consumes the Bt spore (1) and crystalline toxin-treated leaf. The Bt
crystalline toxin (diamond shapes )(2) binds to gut wall receptors, and the caterpillar
stops feeding. Within hours, the gut wall breaks down, allowing spores (oval tube
shapes) and normal gut bacteria (circular shapes) to enter body cavity, where the toxin
dissolves. The caterpillar dies in 24to 48 hours from septicemia, as spores and gut
bacteria proliferate in its blood ( 3).
1
2
3

19. 3. Biochemical pesticides
• They are naturally occurring substances that
control pests by non-toxic mechanisms.
•Biochemical pesticides include substance as
insect sex pheromones, that interfere with
mating, as well as various scented plant extracts
that attract insect pests to traps.

20. Some Biocontrol Agents
A . Insect
control
Microorganisms Target
organisms
Production
process
Remarks'
Viruses Ncleopolyhedrosis
viruses Granulosis
viruses
Asiatic rice
borer, bollworm
cotton, cotton
leaf
In Heliothis
larvae
Commercially
used
Bacteria Bacillus
thuringiensis
Lepidopteran
larvae
,cockroaches
- Not in
commercially use
Fungi Beauveria spp. Many insect
beetles,caterpillar
s
Fermentation Commercially
used
Hirsutella
thompsonii
citrus mites Fermentation Commercially
used
protozoa Malmeba locustae Grosshoppers Fermentation Commercially
used In south
Africa

21. advantages of using biopesticides
• No harmful residusue .
•Biopesticides generally affect only the target pest and
closely related organisms.
• Biopesticides often are effective in very small quantities
and often decompose quickly.
•Difficult for insects to develop resistance to these
pesticides.
Disadvantages of using Biopesticides
•Slow effect
• Rapidly degraded by UV lights so residual action is
slow .

22. Conclusion
•Also used to control soil borne and seed borne fungal
pathogen .
•Biopesticides are typically microbial biological pest
control agents that are applied in a manner similar to
chemical pesticides.
•Bio pesticides are best for controlling the pest in
agriculture in compare to the chemical pesticide .
•In order to implement these environmentally friendly
pest.

23. Reference
• Text book of Microbiology –R. P. Singh
• Biotechnology –U. Satyanarayana
• Biotechnology – B.D. Singh
• Text book of Microbiology –Dubey and
Maheshwari

24. THANK
YOU