Another example of biosubstitution is the application of baculoviruses that infect and kill parasitic caterpillars. Genetic modification of the baculoviruses holds great promise for increasing their usefulness as natural pesticides. In IPM, pesticides are applied only when harmful stages of the pests emerge. The cultivation of pest-resistant crop strains and the rotation of crop species help avoid the buildup of parasite populations. Biosubstitution is the most recent tool to be added to IPM for more sustainable agriculture.
All technologies can produce unanticipated negative repercussions.
Assessing the environmental safety of biotechnologies can be especially difficult. New risks must be identified, quantified, and evaluated for their potential impact. GMOs may compete or cross with unmodified varieties, they may become weeds, or they may make pests hardier than ever by inducing new resistance to naturally occurring pesticides. The successful use of biotechnology for agricultural and environmental applications will require vigilance and on-going management of the risks. Impact on the Ecosystem Pollution affects all species in the contaminated ecosystem, not just the large, conspicuous animals at the top of the food chain.