Agricultural production per unit area has grown dramatically during the past 60 years, partly due to vastly improved pest management with chemical pesticides. However, there are concerns about the sustainability of the use of these chemicals because of undesirable environmental effects and the rapid evolution of pesticide resistance.  The use of biopesticides promises to provide more sustainable pest management than most currently used pesticides. However, there are many challenges in making this come about, including discovery of more efficacious natural pesticides, development of more economical ways of producing often complex biopesticide molecules, and discovery of biopesticides with multiple modes of action in order to delay evolution of resistance. The plant-incorporated chemical protectant class of biopesticides offers some environmental advantages over broadcast spraying of biochemical biopesticides.  Examples will be given of natural compounds and processes that might fulfill these requirements. Biopesticide discovery and development offer to provide much-needed new tools for diversity in sustainable pest management systems.

Greener chemistry for pest management

248th National Meeting (2014)

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