Biopesticides are a type of Plant Protection Product (PPP) made from natural materials including animals, plants, bacteria and minerals.
They represent a diverse group of products, commonly classified into three main categories.
- Pheromones and other semiochemical
- Natural substances, such as botanical extracts and biochemicals.
- Microorganisms, for example bacterium, fungus, protozoa, virus.
Biopesticides offer many advantages: they often pose less risk to non-target organisms and the environment, breakdown quickly which reducing the potential for residues, and can target specific pests, weeds, and diseases more precisely, lowering the need for broad-spectrum pesticides. Continuous innovation is making biopesticides more targeted, effective, and safer than ever before.
Biopesticides are playing an increasingly important role in Integrated Pest Management (IPM), and our CropLife UK members are actively focusing research and development in this area to bring new products to market. However, biopesticides face regulatory challenges in the UK due to data requirements and standardisation in testing methods that delay their approval and commercialisation. Adapting the UK’s regulatory framework will be essential to maximise the adoption of this type of safe and sustainable crop protection solutions for UK farmers.