Final answer:
A biopesticide is a natural pesticide derived from organisms like plants and microbes or their metabolic products. These substances are used to manage pests through biochemical and microbial mechanisms, and are integral to strategies such as organic farming and integrated pest management.
Step-by-step explanation:
A biopesticide is a type of pesticide that is derived from natural materials, such as animals, plants, bacteria, and certain minerals. In the EU, biopesticides are defined as 'a form of pesticide based on micro-organisms or natural products'. The US EPA describes them as substances that include naturally occurring elements that control pests (biochemical pesticides), microorganisms that control pests (microbial pesticides), and pesticidal substances produced by plants with added genetic material (plant-incorporated protectants or PIPs).
Biopesticides differ from conventional pesticides in that they generally do not affect photosynthesis, growth, or other plant physiological functions. Instead, their primary role is to protect against biological pests. They are considered to be biodegradable and renewable alternatives to synthetic chemical pesticides and are often integral to organic farming and integrated pest management (IPM) strategies. Examples of biopesticides include fungal and plant extracts, as well as substances produced by microorganisms like bacteria and fungi.
Classes of biopesticides include microbial pesticides (comprising bacteria, entomopathogenic fungi, viruses, entomopathogenic nematodes, and their metabolites) and natural plant-derived products (like alkaloids, terpenoids, and phenolics). Some products are based on natural ingredients such as canola oil and garlic extracts, and have been registered as biopesticides in various jurisdictions. Biological control, or biocontrol, uses one species to reduce the populations of another, and it has been commercialized in areas such as agriculture and public health, promoting more sustainable pest management practices.