Use of biopesticides – A

safe solution

Dr Chris Knight
Campden BRI
Biopesticides - Introduction

• Insects, plant disease and weeds are

major constraints to food crop
production
• Becoming more difficult to control by
conventional methods
– Pesticide resistance, product withdrawals
• Need to control emerging threats
Biopesticides - Introduction
• Pressure to reduce residue levels from
conventional chemical pesticides
– Regulations: changes in MRLs
– Retailers: minimise detectable residues
• Pressure to develop sustainable ‘pest’
control systems
– Environmental welfare
– Maintain crop quality, productivity and
profitability
Biopesticides - Introduction
• Integrated Crop Management (ICM)
seen as the way forward (cf IPM)
– Framework for reduced chemical pesticide
use and residue levels
• Combines complementary ‘pest’
control methods
– Include chemical, biological, cultural and
physical controls, plant resistance and
decision support systems
Biopesticides in ICM
• Make an important contribution to ICM
– Help reduce reliance on chemical
pesticides
• Major role to play in sustainable
farming
– Conventional and organic systems
– Reduce artificial chemical inputs
What is a biopesticide?
• Range of definitions and terminologies
– Can be confusing
– Essentially a broad group of agents
• Defined as
– Mass produced
– Biologically based agents
– Used to control plant pests, diseases and
weeds
What is a biopesticide?
• ‘Biopesticide’ covers a wide spectrum
of ‘products’
– Subject to regulation as pesticides
– Approved uses and conditions of use
• Living organisms as control agents
– e.g. predatory insects
– Not necessarily regulated as pesticide
products
• Three basic categories
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
Categories of biopesticides
(2)
• Products containing microorganisms
(microbials)
– e.g. bacterium, fungus, virus
• Natural enemies
– Includes invertebrates (e.g. predatory
insects) and nematodes
– Not necessarily regulated as a pesticide
product
Categories of biopesticides
(3)
• Products based on plant extracts
– Unprocessed extracts representing a
cluster of substances
– Highly refined containing one active
substance
Categories of biopesticides
(Other)
• Genetically modified plants
– Express introduced genes that confer
protection against pests and disease
• Not universally accepted as
‘biopesticides’
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
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
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)
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
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
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
Biopesticide - Concerns
• Commercialisation is affected strongly
by the regulatory system
– Governs their authorisation and use
– Disincentive for manufacturers
• Industry is relatively small
– Many SMEs
– Policy resources limited
– Undergoing organisational development
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
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
Biopesticides - Summary
• Comparisons between chemical and
biopesticides are over simplistic
– May detract from from beneficial
properties
• Becoming part of mainstream
agriculture
– agrochemical industry
– Good Agricultural Practice
Biopesticides - Summary
• Make an important contribution to
– Development of sustainable agriculture
– ICM/IPM systems
– Reducing reliance on chemical pesticides
– Reducing pesticide residue levels in food
– Meeting market demands and expecations
• Provide positive public benefits related
to policy goals
Biopesticides - Summary
• Positive benefits
– Environmental welfare
– Food safety
• Wider commercial uptake requires
collaboration between
– Governments and regulators
– Agrochemical industry
– Farmers
Thank you
c.knight@campden.co.uk