Biopesticides Benefits

Biopesticides provide a wide range of benefits to growers, packer/shippers, food processors, and food retailers, as well as consumers. In addition to food uses, biopesticides may also contribute protection of turf, ornamentals, and forests. They are also useful in the realm of public health where they can be used for disease and nuisance management, i.e. mosquito and tick control.

While human health benefits tend to be indirect, the benefits of using biopesticides in agricultural application tend to be more direct. Topping the list are benefits to crop quality and yield, which help growers deliver healthy and affordable fruits and vegetables to consumers around the world. Through their highly targeted modes of action, biopesticides also allow growers to maintain beneficial insect (natural predator) populations in their fields, reducing the grower dependence on conventional chemical pesticides.

With precise application timing, some biopesticides can give growers flexibility. This is because most biopesticides have short restricted entry and pre-harvest intervals, and some others can event be used to manage the ripening process. Biopesticides are also known as integral components of Integrated Pest Management programs, which combine cultural and chemical practices, such as Resistance Management, to maximize preoduction efficiency and promote environmental safety.