Research and Development of Biopesticides: Challenges and Prospects
Even though pesticides have greatly contributed to boosting agricultural productivity and farmer income over the years, there have been concerns about the safety of some of these pest control products. Besides, there has been a growing demand for good quality and safe food in the recent
past – as reflected in the stringent regulations on pesticide residue levels in produce. Biopesticides in comparison with conventional synthetic chemical pesticides are usually less toxic, generally affect only the target pest and closely related organisms, are often effective in relatively
small quantities and decompose faster, resulting in lower exposure. Consequently, over the last few years, biopesticides have attracted global attention as a safer pest control strategy for incorporation into Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programmes. Besides, in the last decade, adoption
of IPM programmes has significantly enhanced pest management practices and, in some cases, reduced pesticide use, consequently reducing the rise in demand for synthetic chemical pesticides. Also, the development of new synthetic chemical pesticides has declined considerably in the recent past,
as regulations have become tighter, with products being withdrawn from the market, resulting in a more limited choice of chemical solutions such that biopesticides have become a more feasible option. Many countries have also increasingly lowered chemical Maximum Residue Levels for agricultural
imports which have made it increasingly necessary to explore pest control options which would ensure reduced reliance on the use of synthetic chemical pesticides. In this paper, avenues of addressing challenges to biopesticide research and development are evaluated by seeking the inputs of
a wide range of stakeholders, building on a recent international workshop with biopesticides practitioners from across the globe. Prospects for biopesticide application are detailed using a case study on the fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) in Africa.
Keywords: BIOPESTICIDES; BOTANICALS; COMMERCIALISATION; FORMULATION; MICROBIALS; NANOTECHNOLOGY; REGULATION
Document Type: Research Article
Publication date: 01 December 2019
- An international journal covering the management of weeds, pests and diseases through chemistry, biology and biotechnology.
- Information for Authors
- International Pest Control
- Ingenta Connect is not responsible for the content or availability of external websites
- Access Key
- Free content
- Partial Free content
- New content
- Open access content
- Partial Open access content
- Subscribed content
- Partial Subscribed content
- Free trial content