BharatNotes Biopesticide
nounUsage in a UPSC answer
As India confronts the twin pressures of soil degradation and pesticide residue in its export consignments, a calibrated shift towards biopesticides and integrated pest management offers a sustainable middle path that safeguards both farmer incomes and ecological health.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Word Family
biopesticide (n), biopesticides (n pl), biopesticide-based (adj compound), pesticide (n), pesticide (adj)
Root
Greek bios = life; Latin pestis = plague/pest; Latin caedere = to kill; -cide = killer-suffix
Etymology
Compound of Greek bios ("life") + Latin pestis ("plague, pest") + -cide (from Latin caedere, "to kill").
Memory Hook
"Bio" (life) + "pesticide" (pest-killer): a pest-killer made from LIFE itself, not a lab chemical, think of friendly bacteria or neem oil fighting crop pests naturally.
How This Word Works in UPSC Writing
A pest-control agent derived from living organisms or naturally occurring substances, such as microbial agents, plant extracts or pheromones. In GS3 it belongs to integrated pest management, and the advantages to state are specificity and low persistence: a biopesticide targeting a particular pest spares beneficial insects and breaks down quickly, reducing residue in food and water. The trade-offs are equally examinable, since narrower action and shorter persistence mean more frequent and better-timed application.
Don’t Confuse It With
A biopesticide is derived from living organisms or natural substances. A chemical pesticide is synthesised and typically broader in action and more persistent. A biofertiliser supplies nutrition rather than pest control. Integrated pest management is the wider strategy combining biological, cultural and chemical methods rather than relying on any one.
Hindi Meaning
जैव कीटनाशक (jaiv kītnāshak).
Common Questions
- What is a biopesticide?
- A pest-control agent derived from living organisms or naturally occurring substances, such as microbes, plant extracts or pheromones.
- What are the trade-offs of biopesticides?
- They are specific and break down quickly, sparing beneficial species and leaving less residue, but that same narrowness and short persistence require more frequent and better-timed application.
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