28 Jul IR-4 A Source for Safer Biopesticides
Go Organic Salutes: Safer Biorational/Biopesticides
Moving pest management away from toxic pesticides
Pesticides vary in their toxicity and in their potential to cause undesirable human and exological impacts. Pest control materials that are effective on the target pest, yet relatively non-toxic with few ecological side-effects are sometimes called “biorational” pesticides; the EPA uses the term “biopesticides” for this pesticide type. The major categories of biorational pesticides include botanicals, microbials, minerals, and synthetic materials. Many biopesticides qualify for use on organic farms and are OMRI-certified.
This biopesticide market has advanced rapidly in the last 10 years. Valued at $3.3 billion in 2017, it is expected to grow to $9.5 billion by 2025. – from Transparency Market Research
The IR-4 Project helps makers of these safer biopesticides test and register them so they can be brought to the market. The project also has a searchable database that farmers and the public can use to identify these products for specific pest needs.
As you consider moving towards organic lawn care, gardening, and pest control, you can access this database to finding listings of products for non-toxic pest control here. Beyond Pesticides also provides a list of non-toxic alternatives here.