| Summary, etc |
All living organisms are subject to predation, parasitism or competition from other organisms. The study of these interactions has led to the identification of many potential opportunities for the use of living organisms as biopesticides to protect agricultural crops against insect pests, fungal, bacterial and viral diseases, weeds, nematodes and mollusc pests. In very general terms, according to the US EPA, biopesticides are pesticides derived from natural materials such as animals, plants, bacteria, and minerals. The two key categories focused on in this report include biochemical and microbial pesticides (reviewing the third category of biopesticides, transgenic crops, was outside the scope of this report). The subcategories of biochemical pesticides introduced in this report include insect pheromones, plant extracts and oils, plant growth regulators and insect growth regulators. Microbial pesticide subcategories discussed include bacteria, virus, fungus, and other less common microorganisms. A range of biopesticide products are now available commercially for control of insect pests, fungal and bacterial diseases and weeds. As a society we are receiving clear signals that some chemicals routinely used in conventional agriculture are associated with alarming health and environmental effects. From human to ecological health impacts, there are growing concerns about how we farm. Though green chemistry applications for sustainable agriculture are relatively few, there is a specific area within green chemistry that has direct implications for sustainable agriculture: the field of biopesticides. We have chosen to focus this book on biopesticides because the field is the most likely source for alternatives to some of the pesticides of greatest concern.<br/>Several Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards have been given for innovations in biopesticides. Also, the area of biopesticides is: a rapidly growing market; raises both optimism and concerns, and is a critical new issue area for anyone concerned with agriculture. A chief conclusion of this study, however, is that as it grows in scale, the field of biopesticides is ripe for green chemistry's broad, principles-based approach to stainability. The market for biopesticides is expanding rapidly: growing at some 10% per year, by 2010 global sales are expected to hit the $1 billion mark and make up 4.2% percent of the overall pesticides market. Much of this rapid growth is due to the fact that, perhaps surprisingly, more than 80% of biopesticides are used, not by organic farmers, but by producers employing conventional farming practices. Orchard crops hold the largest share of total biopesticides use at 55%. It is hard to get current data on overall pesticide use; tracking this data is not in the purview of the USDA, and the EPA last reported on pesticide use data in 2001. Expert estimates, however, hold that overall pesticide use has been declining at a rate of some 1.3% per year over the last decade. This decline is attributed to increased concerns about health and environmental effects, the rise in organic agriculture, and the emergence of alternatives, including biopesticides. In fact, as we shall discuss, the banning of particular pesticides in some cases has been a direct driver of the discovery (and in some cases the rediscovery and development) of biopesticide alternatives Green chemistry and sustainable agriculture are both revolutionary fields with significant overlap, though the connections are not fully developed nor appreciated. Sustainable agriculture encompasses a wide variety of farming techniques and practitioners. Broadly speaking sustainable agriculture seeks to achieve three goals: farm profitability; community prosperity; and environmental stewardship. The latter includes: protecting and improving soil quality, reducing dependence on non-renewable resources, such as fuel, synthetic fertilizers and pesticides and minimizing adverse impacts on safety, wildlife, water quality, and other environmental resources.<br/>The book will be an indispensable source for all professionals, researchers and students in this subject and for anyone working in the related areas for acquiring an up-to-date overviews."<br/>- Editor |
