Biopesticide 

Demonstration Grant 

Program

Demonstrating and promoting biopesticide 

solutions

develop and implement Regional Technology Transfer 

Strategies for biopesticides that have been shown to 

be efficacious and economically viable. Stakeholders 

include: 

• Government funding agencies,

• Biopesticide companies,

• University research and extension personnel,

• Crop consultants,

• Commodity groups, and

• Other grower organizations.

These multi-year Regional Strategies include a 

means to measure increases in the adoption of new 

technology over time. Information will be stored in a 

searchable database accessible to all growers and other 

interested individuals. 

The IR-4 Database

The BDGP and IR-4 have developed user-friendly 

databases, housed on the IR-4 Web site. These 

databases serve as a critical reference tool for 

growers looking to to IPM systems that include 

biopesticides. These databases include: 

• Pesticide product labels for relevant biopesticide 

use,

• Handling guidance searchable by crop, pest, or 

location, and

• Current or historical accounts of biopesticide 

research projects searchable by the name of the 

biopesticide or by the food commodity being 

grown. 

To access the IR-4 Database, visit: 

ir4.rutgers.edu/biopesticides.html

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What Are Biopesticides?

Biopesticides are derived from natural materials 

such as animals, plants, bacteria, and minerals. 

Biopesticides target specific pests and generally 

pose little or no risk to humans or the environment. 

Traditional pesticides, by contrast, are generally 

synthetic materials that not only affect the targeted 

pest, but also unintended organisms such as beneficial 

insects, surrounding vegetation, and wildlife.

Biopesticides fall into three main classes:

• Microbial Pesticides – A microorganism (e.g., a 

bacterium, fungus, virus, or protozoan) serves as 

the active ingredient to control pests. 

• Plant-Incorporated Protectants (PIPs) –

 Pesticidal substances produced by geneticallyaltered plants.

• Biochemical Pesticides – Naturally-occurring 

substances that control pests by non-toxic 

mechanisms. Biochemical pesticides include 

substances such as insect sex pheromones that 

interfere with mating, as well as various scented 

plant extracts that attract insect pests to traps. 

Biopesticides can be used to significantly reduce 

reliance on traditional pesticides. With few 

exceptions, biopesticides are not intended to function 

as “stand-alone” pest control products that can 

substitute other pesticides one-for-one. Biopesticides 

are most effective when used as a component of an 

IPM program. 

For more information on the BDGP, please visit:

www.epa.gov/pestwise/biodemo

PestWise

i

i

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 

Office of Pesticide Programs (7511P)

EPA 731-F-10-004 February 2010
B

Biopesticide Demonstration Grant 

Program

Established in 2003, the BDGP is a pesticide 

risk reduction partnership program—one of the 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 

collaborative PestWise programs. Through its 

partnerships, the BDGP seeks to:

• Increase awareness of effective options for 

integrating biologically based technologies into 

existing crop production systems; and

• Promote the use of novel combinations of 

biopesticides to enhance product performance. 

The BDGP is jointly funded and administered 

by EPA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture 

(USDA)/Interregional Research Project #4 (IR-4). 

The BDGP is a competitive grants program, funding 

field demonstrations of registered biopesticides used 

within IPM systems. University researchers partner 

with growers and biopesticide companies to develop 

grant proposals which are screened and rated based 

on the proposal’s efficacy, study design, and risk 

reduction potential. 

During the first five years of the BDGP, more than 

50 grants, totaling $1.2 million, were awarded. The 

final results of each funded demonstration will be 

stored in a searchable database that is accessible to all 

growers and other interested individuals. 

Challenges to Increased Adoption of 

Biopesticides

While the use of biopesticides has many benefits, 

growers have not widely adopted these technologies. 

In 2006, biopesticides only represented approximately 

4% of the total pesticides applied nationally. The 

BDGP works to overcome the barriers that hinder the 

increased national adoption of biopesticides. Some 

of these barriers include: 

• Lack of information, 

• Limited availability,

• Concern about efficacy,

• Concern about cost,

• Concern about ease of application,

• Uncertainty about biopesticide use within 

conventional agricultural production systems, 

and

• Lack of resources for grower training.

To overcome these obstacles, the BDGP strives 

to increase growers’ confidence in adopting new 

biopesticide technologies. The BDGP works to 

continually raise awareness about effective options 

for integrating biologically-based technologies 

into existing crop production and IPM systems. 

To increase grower confidence and awareness, the 

BDGP facilitates direct communication with growers 

and institutions. Grower-to-grower training within 

commodity organizations has proven to be a potent 

communication tool for behavioral, practical change. 

The Biopesticide Technology Transfer 

Initiative

Biopesticide penetration into the pesticide market is 

essential for broader adoption by growers nationwide. 

The effective introduction of biopesticides into 

the market, though, can be challenging since many 

companies lack the resources and field presence 

necessary to accomplish this at a truly significant 

level. 

EPA is providing resources for the transfer of 

promising biopesticide technologies through 

the Biopesticide Technology Transfer Initiative. 

Partnerships are formed with key stakeholders to 

iopesticide development requires testing and observation to demonstrate the efficacy and safety of the technology. The Biopesticide Demonstration Grant Program 

(BDGP) serves as a “real-time” laboratory for growers across the country to assess new and pioneering biopesticides across a wide variety of agricultural situations. 

With an ever-increasing base of public support, the BDGP promotes use of biologically-based products by providing funds to university researchers who cooperate 

with growers and biopesticide companies to demonstrate the effective use of biopesticides within Integrated Pesticide Managment (IPM) systems. These biopesticide 

demonstrations are having a significant positive impact on the future of reduced-risk pest control and pesticide use.