Biopesticide - Overview

Overview

Biopesticides fall into three major classes:

• Microbial pesticides which consist of bacteria, entomopathogenic fungi or viruses (and sometimes includes the metabolites that bacteria or fungi produce). Entomopathogenic nematodes are also often classed as microbial pesticides, even though they are multi-cellular.
• Biochemical pesticides are naturally occurring substances that control (or monitor in the case of pheromones) pests, but are relatively non-toxic to mammals.
• Plant-incorporated protectants (PIPs) have genetic material from other species incorporated into their genetic material (i.e. GM crops): still controversial in some (notably European) countries.

Biopesticides have usually no known function in photosynthesis, growth or other basic aspects of plant physiology; however, their biological activity against insect pests, nematodes, fungi and other organisms is well documented. Every plant species has developed a built-in unique chemical complex structure that protects it from pests. The plant kingdom offers a diverse array of complex chemical structures and almost every imaginable biological activity. These biodegradable, economical and renewable alternatives are used especially under organic farming systems.