Formulating Pesticides for Sustainable Agriculture
Azolifesciences
2022.11.25
Plant pests and diseases cause damage to crops during production and storage, reducing crop yields and negatively affecting food quality. This significantly impacts the agricultural industry; the FAO estimates that plant pests are responsible for global crop losses of up to 40% each year, and plant diseases cost the global economy around $220 billion annually.
These losses threaten global food security, which is a particularly concerning problem when considering the projected increase in the human population over the coming years. Controlling plant pests and diseases is therefore crucial and primarily achieved using synthetic pesticides.
Unlike synthetic pesticides, biopesticides are based on natural products; they are formulated using biologically active ingredients derived from plants, bacteria, viruses, and fungi.The modes of action of biopesticides are more diverse than synthetic pesticides; for example, they may act as neuromuscular toxins, metabolic poisons or interfere with growth regulation or pest mating activities. This increased diversity means pests are less likely to develop resistance to biopesticides than synthetic pesticides.
Biopesticides are also more sustainable than synthetic pesticides as they have lower toxicity levels, increased biodegradability within the environment, and are more specific to the target pest, meaning that there are fewer negative impacts on non-target wildlife and humans.
Plant pests and diseases cause damage to crops during production and storage, reducing crop yields and negatively affecting food quality. This significantly impacts the agricultural industry; the FAO estimates that plant pests are responsible for global crop losses of up to 40% each year, and plant diseases cost the global economy around $220 billion annually.
These losses threaten global food security, which is a particularly concerning problem when considering the projected increase in the human population over the coming years. Controlling plant pests and diseases is therefore crucial and primarily achieved using synthetic pesticides.
Unlike synthetic pesticides, biopesticides are based on natural products; they are formulated using biologically active ingredients derived from plants, bacteria, viruses, and fungi.The modes of action of biopesticides are more diverse than synthetic pesticides; for example, they may act as neuromuscular toxins, metabolic poisons or interfere with growth regulation or pest mating activities. This increased diversity means pests are less likely to develop resistance to biopesticides than synthetic pesticides.
Biopesticides are also more sustainable than synthetic pesticides as they have lower toxicity levels, increased biodegradability within the environment, and are more specific to the target pest, meaning that there are fewer negative impacts on non-target wildlife and humans.
Read more here