New, biological pesticides have been created through the application of new technology. Technology used on biological research is referred to as biotechnology. Biotechnology provides the means to use microorganisms and their elements to produce commercially useful products.

To appreciate why new biopesticides are needed for cotton and other crops, it is useful to examine the existing crop protection situation. The overriding factor in shaping a climate in which there is a need for new biopesticides is the stringent regulatory control of chemical pesticide use and development. Recent EPA demands for stricter regulation of factors such as groundwater contamination are difficult to interpret and implement. The only prediction about future regulations that can be confidently made is that they will be more difficult, and therefore expensive to satisfy.