Why are fungal insecticides an attractive alternative to chemical pesticides for growing food crops?

Human consumption of fungal insecticides would not make a person sick, but ingestion of chemical pesticides can be harmful to humans.

A single fungal insecticide would kill a wider variety of insects than a chemical pesticide.

Fungal insecticides can eliminate both harmful insects and plant pathogens, while chemical pesticides only kill insects.

Fungal insecticides will decompose dying plants, enhancing the nitrogen content of the soil, while chemical pesticides are not decomposers.

Fungal insecticides are an attractive alternative to chemical pesticides for growing food crops because fungal insecticides can eliminate both harmful insects and plant pathogen while chemical pesticides can only kill insects.

Explanation:

As it gets harder to get approval for novel synthetics and existing synthetic pesticides are pulled from shelves, biopesticides become more attractive. And then there's the rise of weeds and microbes resistant to traditional pesticides. Many commonly used chemical pesticides are facing pressure today due to overuse, improper use, and long-term use. Some biopesticides repel pests, while others disrupt mating or cause a specific disease to strike invaders that would nibble on delicate fruits and vegetables. That's especially true when compared with synthetic pesticides, which often contain toxic chemicals such as arsenic, chlorine, ammonia and formaldehyde. Some synthetic pesticides have been shown to have harmful effects on the environment and human health. One family of pesticides, called neonicotinoids, is being blamed for the decline in bee populations over the last decade. Trichoderma, a versatile mold, is also commonly used. Some release enzymes that dissolve potential pathogens; others form barriers around plant roots and make it impossible for harmful bacteria and pathogens to pass through.

Another fungus - Metarhizium, or the green muscardine fungus - is frequently used in the field, shielding crops from beetle grubs, wireworm, corn root worms and countless other insects. One variant is now being used to develop biopesticides - including a line by MycoPesticide - that can cause a mushroom to grow from a pest's dead body to distribute spores that warn other insects.