Some species of which of the following groups of organisms are employed as biopesticides in modern agriculture? 1. Bacteria 2. Fungi 3. Flowering plants

Introduction / Context:
Biopesticides are pest control agents derived from natural organisms or substances rather than from synthetic chemicals. They play an important role in sustainable agriculture by reducing chemical pesticide use and environmental pollution. This question asks which kinds of organisms include species that are used as biopesticides: bacteria, fungi, and flowering plants. Understanding this helps you connect textbook theory with real world eco friendly farming practices.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• We are given three groups of organisms:
  • 1. Bacteria
  • 2. Fungi
  • 3. Flowering plants
• The question asks which of these groups contain species used as biopesticides.
• Biopesticides include microbial pesticides and plant derived products.
• We assume standard examples like Bacillus thuringiensis, Trichoderma species, and neem based products.

Concept / Approach:
Microbial biopesticides are based on bacteria, fungi, viruses, and other microorganisms that kill or inhibit pests. A classic bacterial example is Bacillus thuringiensis, whose spores are widely used against caterpillars. Fungal biopesticides include species like Trichoderma and Beauveria that attack plant pathogens or insects. Additionally, some flowering plants produce natural insecticidal compounds. Neem (Azadirachta indica), a flowering tree, is a famous example whose extracts are used as botanical pesticides. Because there are recognised biopesticide products from bacteria, fungi, and flowering plants, the correct combination is 1, 2 and 3.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Consider bacteria. Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is a well known bacterial biopesticide used against insect larvae, so group 1 is clearly included. Step 2: Consider fungi. Several fungal species, such as Trichoderma for plant disease control and Beauveria for insect control, are used as biopesticides, so group 2 is also included. Step 3: Consider flowering plants. Neem, a flowering tree, provides neem oil and neem based formulations widely recognised as botanical pesticides, so group 3 also qualifies. Step 4: Since all three groups have examples used as biopesticides, we must select the option that includes 1, 2 and 3 together. Step 5: Match this reasoning with the options and choose 1, 2 and 3.

Verification / Alternative check:
You can verify this by recalling typical classifications in environmental science chapters. Biopesticides are often divided into microbial pesticides (based on bacteria and fungi), botanical pesticides (based on plants like neem and pyrethrum), and others such as pheromone traps. Lists of commercially available biopesticides usually include Bt formulations, Trichoderma based products, and neem based preparations. Since these correspond to bacteria, fungi, and flowering plants respectively, it confirms that all three groups contribute species used as biopesticides.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
1 only is wrong because it ignores the well documented fungal biopesticides and botanical products. 2 and 3 only is incorrect because it leaves out bacterial products like Bt, which are among the earliest and most famous biopesticides. 1 and 3 only excludes fungi and therefore misses important agents like Trichoderma used against soil borne plant pathogens. These partial combinations do not fully represent the range of organisms used in biopesticide development.

Common Pitfalls:
A common pitfall is to think only of microbial biopesticides and forget about plant based ones, leading to selection of bacteria and fungi but not flowering plants. Another mistake is to remember only the classical example of Bt and incorrectly assume that only bacteria are used. To avoid such errors, organise your memory by categories: bacteria and fungi for microbial products, and specific flowering plants like neem for botanical pesticides. This structure makes it much easier to recognise that all three groups in the question can supply biopesticide agents.

Final Answer:
The correct option is 1, 2 and 3, because bacteria, fungi, and some flowering plants all provide species that are used as biopesticides in sustainable agriculture.