Biopesticide is a pesticide which is:
a. not chemical in nature.
b. more specific in action against the pest.
c. safer for environment than chemical pesticides.
A popularly known biopesticide is Bt toxin, which is produced by a bacterium called Bacillus thuringiensis. Bt toxin gene has been cloned from this bacterium and expressed in plants. Bt toxin protein when ingested by the insect, gets converted to its active form due to the alkaline pH of the gut. The activated toxin binds to the surface of midgut epithelial cells and create pores that cause cell swelling and lysis and eventually kills the insect.
