University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore

Includes index

Biopesticides constitute the pest control agents of biological origin. In other words, biopesticides are considered as preparations or formulations manufactured to be used in the control or eradication of insect pests, weeds or disease organisms, in which the active ingredient or the principle is based on a living organism. More recently, the encouragement of natural enemies (parasitoids, predators, microbes, etc.) and the use of transgenic crop varieties, pheromones, growth regulators and plant-derived materials in pest management has been considered to constitute the biopesticide umbrella. In view of the adverse effects of synthetic organic pesticides on the environment in the form of resistance and resurgence in insect pests, deleterious effects on non-target organisms and contamination of food materials, biopesticides have emerged as the viable alternative. Biopesticides do not accumulate in the environment and hence do not leave harmful residues, are more or less specific against target pests and hence safe to non-target organisms including man, and the chances to develop resistance in insect pests to biopesticides are less as compared to synthetic organic insecticides.