Plants can be given genes that help the plants' bodies make substances to fight pests. These self-made pesticides are called "plant-incorporated protectants" (PIPs). PIP-producing crops are sometimes called "genetically modified" (GM) or "genetically engineered" (GE).

PIPs can help plants resist viruses, bacteria and insects. When PIP crops target insects, they can be called "insect-resistant." PIP-producing plants can help growers lower the amount of pesticides they use on their fields.

Some of the crops that can be made to produce PIPs are corn, soybeans, cotton, potatoes and plums. However, this does not mean that all of the crops (corn, soybean, etc.) you see in farmers' fields are making their own pesticides. Other forms of these crops are still conventionally or organically grown.

PIP plants are regulated as pesticides by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). EPA looks at the risks of each PIP before it can be registered as a pesticide. This review aims to protect human and environmental health. EPA considers several factors in these reviews:

• Risks to human health and the environment — including plants, animals and other living things that are not the pests
• What to do if pest insects develop the ability to recover from the plant-made pesticides. This ability is called "insect resistance" or "pesticide resistance."
• The chance that PIP genes could spread to other plants

In 2023, the U.S. EPA updated its regulations. Some PIPS do not need to be registered, or be required to have a tolerance for residue on food. They are still regulated by the U.S. EPA, however. PIPs are exempt from registration when they "both pose no greater risk than PIPS that EPA has already concluded meet safety requirements, and when they could have otherwise been created through conventional breeding."

Another genetic modification: Herbicide-tolerant plants

• Herbicide-tolerant (HT) plants have their genes changed to make them survive the use of specific weed killers.
• HT plants are sometimes called genetically modified or genetically engineered.
• HT crops are regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. They are not regulated by EPA as pesticides.

Additional Resources:

• Plant Incorporated Protectants - US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
• EPA's Regulation of Biotechnology for Use in Pest Management - EPA
• Overview of Plant Incorporated Protectants - EPA
• Current and Previously Registered Section 3 PIP Registrations - EPA
• Agricultural Biotechnology - US Department of Agriculture (USDA)
• Understanding New Plant Varieties - US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
• USDA Coexistence Fact Sheets: Conventional Farming - US Department of Agriculture (USDA)
• Adoption of Genetically Engineered Crops in the U.S.: Recent Trends in GE Adoption - USDA
• GMOs 101: Your Basic Questions Answered - US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
• Insect Resistance Management - EPA
• Herbicide-Resistant Crops: Utilities and Limitations for Herbicide-Resistant Weed Management - Green and Owen, 2011; Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry

If you have questions about this, or any pesticide-related topic, please call NPIC at 800-858-7378 (8:00am - 12:00pm PST), or email at npic@ace.orst.edu.