Use of Biopesticides and their effect on environment

1. Biopesticides

2. What is a biopesticide?
Biopesticides are certain types of pesticides
derived from such natural materials as animals,
plants, bacteria, and certain minerals.
Consequently, their use in commercial farming is
attracting regulatory restrictions leading to 2%
decline per year in synthetic pesticides use in favor
of 10% increase of biopesticides as alternative
agrochemicals
• Three basic categories

3. Categories of biopesticides (1)
• Products based on pheromone and other
semiochemicals
– e.g. insect pheromones for trapping or mating
disruption
• Semiochemicals
– Chemicals emitted by plants, animals and
other organisms (or synthetic analogues)
– Evoke a behavioural or physiological response
in the same or similar species

4. Categories of biopesticides (2)
• Products containing microorganisms
(microbials)
– e.g. bacterium, fungus, virus

5. Categories of biopesticides (3)
• Products based on plant extracts
– Unprocessed extracts representing a cluster of
substances
– Highly refined containing one active substance

6. Categories of biopesticides (Other)
• Genetically modified plants
– Express introduced genes that confer
protection against pests and disease
• Not universally accepted as ‘biopesticides’

7. How many biopesticide products?
• Wide variation in countries
– Over a 1000 products in USA
– Significantly fewer in EU
• Microbial products
– 200 in USA
– 60 comparable products available in EU

8. Examples of biopesticides (UK)
• Fungicide
– Bacillus subtilis (specific strain)
– Coniothyrium minitans (specific strain)
• Insecticide
– B. thuringiensis var. kurstaki
– Cydia pomella granulosis virus
– Verticillium lecanii
– Spinosad
– Fatty acids

9. Examples of biopesticides (UK)
• Herbicide
– Citronella oil (plant extract)
– Fatty acids
• Other
– Candida oleophila (biological control)
– Peniophora gigantea (tree stumps)
– Pepper (vertebrate control)
– Zucchini yellow mosaic virus weak strain
(immunisation)

10. Biopesticides - Benefits
• Usually inherently less toxic than
conventional pesticides
– Environmental and worker welfare
• Produce little if any residue
– Food safety
• Generally have a narrow spectrum of
activity
– Low direct impact on non targets, including
humans and wildlife

11. Biopesticides - Benefits
• Use often compatible with other control
agents
• May aid chemical pesticide performance
when used together
– Enhanced control
– Help prevent/delay chemical pesticide
resistance
• Mode of action not specific
– Reduced risk of developing resistance

12. Biopesticides - Benefits
• Used as a component of ICM may decrease use of
chemical pesticides
– Crop quality and yields remain high
• Flexible approach to ‘pest’ management
– Natural enemies can reproduce in the pest population
and respond to changes
• Help meet market demands/expecations for
– Environmentally friendly agriculture
– Reduced chemical pesticide residues

13. Biopesticide - Concerns
• Commercialisation is affected strongly by
the regulatory system
– Governs their authorisation and use
– Disincentive for manufacturers
• Industry is relatively small
– Policy resources limited
– Undergoing organisational development

14. Biopesticide - Concerns
• Higher unit prices compared to chemical
pesticides
• In general, biopesticides are not as
effective as chemicals
– Chemicals easier to predict what will do
• Biopesticides may not work immediately
– Ecological background may have to change
first

15. Biopesticide - Concerns
• Shelf life may be shorter than chemicals
• Technical knowledge
– Have to be used in relatively complex
knowledge intensive management systems
– To be used effectively users need to know a
great deal about managing ‘pests’
– May act as a disincentive or influence efficacy

16. Thank you