Phytochemical Pesticides

Abstract

Many phytochemical pesticides exhibiting broad spectrum of activity against pests and diseases have long been considered as attractive alternative to synthetic chemical pesticides as they are biodegradable, target specifi c, and pose no or less hazard to the environment or to human health. Although a large number of studies suggest that plant-based materials do affect arthropod pests, vectors, and other pathogens, yet only a handful of botanicals are currently used in agriculture, and there are few prospects for commercial development of new botanical products. Several factors appear to limit the success of botanicals, most notably regulatory barriers and the availability of competing products of microbial origin that are cost-effective and relatively safe compared with their predecessors. In the context of agricultural pest management, botanical pesticides are best suited for use in organic food production and can play a much greater role in the production and post-harvest protection of food and food products in developing countries. There is thus a need to organize natural sources, develop quality control, adopt standardization strategies, and modify regulatory mechanisms.

Plant-Derived Pesticides as an Alternative to Pest Management and Sustainable Agricultural Production: Prospects, Applications and Challenges

“…Previous studies have already reported more than 2500 plant species belonging to 235 families, which have demonstrated their biological activity against several types of pests [ 1 ]. However, in spite of the remarkable potential as natural sources for commercial botanical pesticide development, not many have been found on the market, remaining in use only for small organic crops and commonly classified as so-called farming products [ 106 ].…”

“…The action of soaps on the wax covering of insects is influenced by the temperature [ 64 ]. Additionally, the crude oils may also act by interfering with insect respiration by plugging the orifices called spiracles, resulting in death by asphyxiation, controlling several types of insects such as whiteflies, mites, caterpillars, leafhoppers and beetles [ 1 ].…”

“…Pesticides may be defined as any compound or mixture of components intended for preventing, destroying, repelling or mitigating any pest [ 1 ]. Additionally, herbicides or weed-killers may also be considered as pesticides, and are used to kill unwanted plants in order to leave the desired crop relatively unharmed and well provided with nutrients, leading to a more profitable harvest [ 2 ].…”

“…The great demand for food has led to the intensification of agricultural technology in order to achieve maximum productivity per hectare, through expansion of irrigation facilities, introduction of high-yielding varieties and application of increased amounts of agrochemicals, mostly synthetic [ 1 ] (for example, the 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)-ethane (DDT) used from 1939 to 1962 [ 4 ] and the polychlorinatedbiphenyls (PCBs) used from 1926 to 1970 [ 5 ]). In spite of various technological achievements over the years, serious problems have come along, especially due to the indiscriminate use of synthetic pesticides.…”

Bioprospecting endophytic fungi for antifeedants and larvicides and their enhancement by gamma irradiation

“…Besides, the pressing scientific and social necessities to Open Access *Correspondence: sayed_zahran2000@yahoo.com; elsayed.ramadan@eaea.org.eg develop safe, cheap, and eco-friendly alternatives to avoid hazards resulting from the excessive use of synthetic pesticides (Manu et al 2021). Over the years, the use of phyto-chemicals as pesticides were extensively studied (Ali et al 2021) with the result of the identification of several leads from a wide range of plant species (Walia et al 2014). Although, plants proved to be a rich source of natural compounds for insect control, the very low yields and unsustainable supply were the main drawbacks (Molyneux et al 2007).…”