Biocontrol, new questions for Ecotoxicology?

• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-018-3356-5
• Publication Date: 2018-10-10T03:28:25Z
• Authors: Marcel Amichot; Pierre Joly; Fabrice Martin-La...; David Siaussat; Anne-Violette Lavoir
• Keywords: agroecology; 0303 health sciences; ERA ecotoxicological risk assessment; Agriculture; Ecotoxicology; 630; 3. Good health; biocontrol agent; 03 medical and health sciences; Biological Control Agents; 13. Climate action; [SDE]Environmental Sciences; Animals; biopesticide regulation; France; Biopesticide; Pesticides; Ecosystem; Environmental Monitoring

International audience; Biocontrol strategies are viewed as an environment friendly alternative to the use of conventional synthetic pesticides to control pests or weeds in agrosystems and are expected to supersede the use of pesticides. Nevertheless, biocontrol solutions are not devoid of drawbacks. As encountered with conventional pesticides, one can expect side-effects of biopesticides on non-targeted organisms and/or ecosystem processes. The "bio-" prefix in the word "biopesticides" does it necessarily guarantee their environment safe profile? In this context, we call to mind the researchers of the network ECOTOX (French network of ecotoxicology; https://www6.inra.fr/ecotox) in the framework of a roundtable entitled "Biocontrol & Ecotoxicology" on the following questions: who is experienced in ecotoxicology in relation with biocontrol in its own research? To what extend would it be useful to introduce ecotoxicology in biocontrol? What is the fate of biopesticides in the environment? What role could we cast to ecotoxicology in biocontrol regulations? We report here a synthesis of the discussions engaged during the roundtable.