Provides a detailed overview of the recent advances in the biocontrol sector, focussing on the development of products to control crop insect pests Considers the key issues and challenges that can arise as a result of the development of novel biocontrol agents, such as the challenge of commercialising a new product to a rapidly changing market Addresses how breeding techniques can be optimised to improve plant defences against insect pest attacks

Biopesticides are important tools for controlling insect pests, and demand for them is growing globally. While biopesticides are generally considered to be of low risk, robust risk assessments are still needed to support their registration. Addressing testing questions and challenges will help better refine environmental risk assessments by limiting the need for conservative assumptions and increasing our understanding and real world relevance of test results. This chapter identifies some of the common issues faced by regulators in assessing risks of microbial and biochemical pesticides as well as dsRNA pesticides. The chapter discusses problems related to identification, exposure analysis and hazard testing, especially in nontarget organism testing with microbial pesticides. Advancement in clarifying these issues will strengthen biopesticide risk assessments by increasing their resolution and decreasing the need for conservative assumptions.

Highlights recent advances in the development of more sustainable crop protection products Considers the range of regulatory issues which may arise as a result of the development of novel biocontrol products Provides an overview of the development of botanical pesticides and features a case study on the use of a plant-based biocontrol agent in black truffle cultivation