| Agriculture has an imperative role in the economy of developing countries. It is associated with a variety of food materials such as vegetables, fruits and cereal crops. Many people depend upon it as a staple meal and as a source of their income. These agricultural food products are broadly damaged by a variety of pests including insects, mites and rodents. The consequences of damage are manifested in both quantitative and qualitative forms. Over the years, synthetic pesticides have been widely used for pest management, but these pesticides pose hazards to the environment and human health, and long-term repetition of these products develops resistance in insects, due to which their efficacy starts to reduce, or they have no effects on the insects after a certain period of time. Therefore, the production and exploration of maximum degraded natural resources are very important to prevent these serious threats. Biopesticides are usually derived from several plant species which are easily available and cause less or no adverse effect on the environment. Biopesticides are generally host-specific, therefore it does not affect the non-target organisms including humans. Small quantities of bioproducts prove to be effective and useful against pests and are also easy to decompose. Biopesticides can be used as safer alternatives to controlling pests and are frequently part of Integrated Pest Management plans.
Keywords: Biopesticides, Agriculture, Environment, IPM.
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