What Does Plant Incorporated Protectants (PIPs) Mean?
Plant Incorporated Protectants, or PIPs, are genetically modified plants that produce pesticides within their own tissues. This is possible because botanists add special pesticide proteins and strategically alter the genetic material of the plants. As a result, the plants are able to manufacture their own proteins and pesticides when needed.
The Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, recognizes and regulates PIPs as pesticides.
Plant Incorporated Protectants are one of three forms of biopesticides, which are said to be a safer alternative to synthetic chemicals. The other two forms of biopesticides are biochemical pesticides and microbial pesticides.
Maximum Yield Explains Plant Incorporated Protectants (PIPs)
As they are genetically modified products, PIPs are to be treated differently than normal pesticides. The modified proteins and genes are also regulated by the EPA, given that pesticides require legal registration supported by sufficient evidence and reasoning that they are friendly to the environment and safe for our health.
The EPA also demands data and decides regulations of PIPs on the basis of precise scientific criteria and recommendations from researchers, industries, agencies, and the general public before implementing a course of action with a particular plant.
Registration of Plant Incorporated Protectants began in 1995 and since then federal standards have been updated and new laws have been passed down. Along with studies suggesting the various possible side effects that PIPs can bring on to our daily lives, the EPA also investigates potential gene flows and advancements in genetic engineering.
It is important to understand how Plant Incorporated Protectants work before incorporating them into your garden.
