Pesticides vs. Biopesticides: From Pest Management to Toxicity and Impacts on the Environment and Human Health

Abstract

The environmental pollution that occurs in direct response to the widespread use of man-made/conventional pesticides results from many chemicals that require a long period of time, often decades, to degrade. The synthetic nature of pesticides also harms animals, beneficial insects, microorganisms, and plants, as well as humans. Fortunately, however, there are many natural pesticides, the so-called biopesticides, that are also effective against pests and more importantly, do not interfere with the well-being of ecosystems. Consequently, most biopesticides are safer for use around people and pets than man-made pesticides because, for example, they can be easily washed away from fruits and vegetables. The natural habitat is a rich resource with a wide selection of plants, many of which are also used to treat diseases in humans, animals, and plants. Out of concern for public health, environmental safety, and the stringent regulation of pesticide residues in agricultural commodities, the use of biopesticides is becoming increasingly important, but questions regarding potential pest resistance to these products may arise, just as is the case with conventional pesticides. Therefore, the performance and potential role of biopesticides in the management of plant pests should be prioritized due to their sustainability and importance to human and environmental welfare. In this review, we propose to highlight a scenario in which we discuss in detail the main constraints posed by the use of pesticides compared to biopesticides, starting with issues regarding their definition and continuing on to issues related to their toxicity and their impact on the environment and human health.

The Effectiveness of Mixed Food Attractant for Managing Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) and Agrotis ipsilon (Hufnagel) in Peanut Fields

“…Chemical pesticides have played a significant role in protecting crops from pest damage and saving yield losses; at the same time, however, they have also brought some ecological and food safety issues, such as environmental pollution, pesticide resistance and residues [42,43]. Today, with the increasing voice for environmental protection and stronger demand for the quality and safety of agricultural products, developing biocontrol technologies is conducive to the sustainable development of agriculture and thus the 'attract-and-kill' strategy has great application potential for integrated pest management [16].…”

Nano-Food Farming: Toward Sustainable Applications of Proteins, Mushrooms, Nano-Nutrients, and Nanofibers

“…The harmful use of pesticides in agriculture over time has also led to the deterioration of both human health [44] and the broader environment, mainly non-target species in soil, air, and water [64]. Several efforts have been made to avoid these problems by moving toward the sustainable application of agrochemicals (pesticides), such as nano-formulation-based pesticides [67], green and microbial pesticides [68], and bio-pesticides [69]. The same trend exists for mineral fertilizers, where significant progress has been made toward sustainable fertilizer management through smart fertilizers [40], biogenic nano-fertilizers [29], nanocomposite-based smart fertilizers [70], and nano-biofertilizers [71].…”

Biofungicides Based on Plant Extracts: On the Road to Organic Farming

“…Specific criteria required for the commercial use of these products include toxicity, production efficiency, and product safety [129]. Obtaining this information from companies can be very costly and may discourage them from commercializing biofungicides [130]. Part of the challenge with registration is that the guidelines for biopesticide registration rely too heavily on the criteria used for chemical fungicides and require information that is not as readily available for biofungicides.…”