 |
|
Biological alternatives to chemical pesticides
October 08, 2008With increasing consumer pressure on both farmers and supermarkets to minimise the use of chemical pesticides in fruit and vegetables, a new study, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), looks at why there is currently little use of biological alternatives in the UK.
Biological products, known as biopesticides, can play a significant role in a more sustainable food chain as chemical pesticides are withdrawn due to resistance problems or because they are no longer commercially viable, according to the research. Chemicals also endanger workers' health and can contaminate groundwater.
"It is evident that biopesticides have a potentially important contribution to make to a competitive agriculture industry," said lead researcher, Professor Wyn Grant, at the University of Warwick. "They have the potential to increase consumer confidence in fruit and vegetables whilst moving away from a polarised and over-simplified choice between conventional and organic modes of production."
The research suggests that consumer concerns about toxic residues could undermine the recommended 'five a day' target for the consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables. Supermarkets have responded to consumer pressure by banning some approved pesticides, but have been slow to embrace biopesticides.
Biological control agents such as naturally occurring fungi, bacteria or viruses are applied in much the same way as chemical pesticides to fight insect pests, but have obvious benefits as they have little impact on other organisms, are compatible with other natural enemies, do not leave toxic residues and are relatively cheap to develop. These far outweigh the disadvantages of lower effectiveness and a shorter shelf life. So why has there been poor uptake in Britain?
The study says that because the regulatory system in the UK was developed with chemical pesticides in mind, it does not encourage the development of biopesticides. In recognition of this, the regulator - the Pesticides Safety Directorate (PSD) - lowered registration fees and created a Biopesticides Champion in 2006. This has led to a modest increase in the number of biological products being registered, with others in the pipeline.
The researchers pinpointed a lack of mutual recognition between EU member states as a key reason why the US has a much higher rate of biopesticide use. This makes it hard for the small companies - often start-ups - that usually develop biopesticides to obtain economies of scale.
New chemical formulations could be used to solve problems with biopesticide storage and efficacy and this might lead to greater interest from large businesses, the study says. Biopesticides need to be fitted into current environmental stewardship schemes to provide incentives for their use. Moreover, consumers need to be educated about biopesticides - and they should be given a different name with less negative connotations. The researchers also suggested providing an ethical marque for products.
Importantly, risks, costs and benefits need to be shared out between the manufacturer, regulator, government and consumers. The researchers also propose a framework to promote innovation within the regulator, including pressure from central government, the appointment of key individuals to drive through change, the need for regulators to develop their expertise and commercial or financial pressure.
"The absence of a Europe-wide market for biopesticides is a significant obstacle to their wider commercial availability," the researchers said, though moves are underway to remedy this. They also pointed to "patchy" interaction between the regulator and retailers, and a lack of involvement of environmental groups, which they put down to indifference rather than hostility.
Economic & Social Research Council
The research suggests that consumer concerns about toxic residues could undermine the recommended 'five a day' target for the consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables. Supermarkets have responded to consumer pressure by banning some approved pesticides, but have been slow to embrace biopesticides.
Biological control agents such as naturally occurring fungi, bacteria or viruses are applied in much the same way as chemical pesticides to fight insect pests, but have obvious benefits as they have little impact on other organisms, are compatible with other natural enemies, do not leave toxic residues and are relatively cheap to develop. These far outweigh the disadvantages of lower effectiveness and a shorter shelf life. So why has there been poor uptake in Britain?
The study says that because the regulatory system in the UK was developed with chemical pesticides in mind, it does not encourage the development of biopesticides. In recognition of this, the regulator - the Pesticides Safety Directorate (PSD) - lowered registration fees and created a Biopesticides Champion in 2006. This has led to a modest increase in the number of biological products being registered, with others in the pipeline.
The researchers pinpointed a lack of mutual recognition between EU member states as a key reason why the US has a much higher rate of biopesticide use. This makes it hard for the small companies - often start-ups - that usually develop biopesticides to obtain economies of scale.
New chemical formulations could be used to solve problems with biopesticide storage and efficacy and this might lead to greater interest from large businesses, the study says. Biopesticides need to be fitted into current environmental stewardship schemes to provide incentives for their use. Moreover, consumers need to be educated about biopesticides - and they should be given a different name with less negative connotations. The researchers also suggested providing an ethical marque for products.
Importantly, risks, costs and benefits need to be shared out between the manufacturer, regulator, government and consumers. The researchers also propose a framework to promote innovation within the regulator, including pressure from central government, the appointment of key individuals to drive through change, the need for regulators to develop their expertise and commercial or financial pressure.
"The absence of a Europe-wide market for biopesticides is a significant obstacle to their wider commercial availability," the researchers said, though moves are underway to remedy this. They also pointed to "patchy" interaction between the regulator and retailers, and a lack of involvement of environmental groups, which they put down to indifference rather than hostility.
Economic & Social Research Council
U.S.-German Research Consortium Sequences Genome of Versatile Soil Microbe
In a successful transatlantic collaboration, scientists at The Institute for Genomic Research (TIGR) in Rockville, MD, and at four research centers in Germany have deciphered and analyzed the complete genome of a bacterium, Pseudomonas putida, that has the potential to be used to remediate organic pollutants in soil as well as to help promote plant growth and fight plant diseases. The genome analysis is published in the journal Environmental Microbiology, which devotes its entire December 2002 issue to articles about P. putida and related Pseudomonas species. The genome paper sheds light on the complex and versatile metabolism that gives P. putida an important role in laboratory research on
More Biopesticides Current Events and Biopesticides News Articles
 | Phytochemical Biopesticides (Advances in Biopesticide Researsh) by Opender Koul, G. S. Dhaliwal In recent years, the development of biological pest control strategies has focused on the chemical profiles of insect-plant interactions. Plants exhibit an extensive range of defensive strategies, which include insect avoidance, deterrence and antibiosis. The need to overcome these vegetative defence responses has driven the evolution of an array of detoxifying mechanisms, which have become the... |
| Bio-pesticide & Integrated Pest Management by G.K Ghosh | |
| Biopesticides and alternative agriculture: An examination of new technologies, applications, markets, potential, and players (Business opportunity report) by Lori Guidry | |
 | Biopesticides: Use and Delivery (Methods in Biotechnology) A definitive guide to the development, application, and use of biopesticides as a complementary or alternative treatment to chemical pesticides. Biopesticides: Use and Delivery brings together for the first time all the latest advances in the control of insects, plant diseases, and weeds with biopesticides. Coverage extends from the science and technology of biofungicides, bioinsecticides, and... |
| Biopesticides of Plant Origin by Catherine Regnault-Roger, Bernard J.R. Philogene, Charles Vincent The environmental hazards resulting from half a century's intensive use of synthetic organic crop protection agents make it imperative to consider alternative or complementary approaches to sustainable agricultural development and integrated pest management. Biopesticides of plant origin could be the key to the future. Indeed, in the past thirty years, advances in analytical chemistry and... | |
 | Influence of the stabilisation of organic materials on their biopesticide effect in soils [An article from: Bioresource Technology] by C. Garcia, J. Pascual, E. Mena, T. Hernandez This digital document is a journal article from Bioresource Technology, published by Elsevier in 2004. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.Description: Some organic materials have shown a suppressive effect on several diseases induced by soilborne plant pathogens. We have carried... |
 | Priorities in Biopesticide Research and Development in Developing Countries by Jeremy Harris, David R. Dent Biological pesticides based on pathogenic micro-organisms specific to a target pest offer an ecologically-sound and effective solution to pest problems. They pose less threat to the environment and to human health than do chemical pesticides. However, despite the enormous potential for biopesticides, their development, commercialization and use has been slow. The information reported in this book... |
| Biopesticides in insect pest management Contributed... | |
| Biopesticides for Sustainable Agriculture ; Prospects and Constraints by Nutan Kaushik | |
| Biopesticide and Bioweapons. (Biodevastation).(Brief Article): An article from: Synthesis/Regeneration by Joseph Cummins This digital document is an article from Synthesis/Regeneration, published by WD Press on January 1, 2002. The length of the article is 704 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.Citation DetailsTitle:... |
| © 2009 BrightSurf.com |