Green Pesticides: Essential oils as biopesticides in insect-pest management

Abstract

The long-term applications of synthetic insecticides have resulted in residues accumulating in different environmental components. They have adverse effects on non-target organisms, ecosystems and human health. Therefore, bio-insecticides “Green pesticides” have posted as an alternative to synthetic insecticides in agriculture and public health sectors. The study presented here focuses on the prospects of essential oils (EOs) as bio-insecticides for insect pest management. In fact, many EOs have insecticidal, fumigant, antifeedant, attractive and repellent activities against a broad spectrum of insects with some selectivity. The EOs are a complex of chemical compounds with multiple modes of action that enhances their activity due to the synergistic action between constituents. Due to their volatility in nature, EOs are used as a fumigant against agriculture and storage food insects. Consequently, EO-based insecticides are very important for control stored insects because they are active against a variety of insects, fast penetrating and no toxic residues in the treated products. In contrast, some problems (e.g., volatility, solubility and oxidation) of EO-based insecticides were recorded, which plays an important role in the EOs activity, application and persistent. For this reason, new formulations with nanotechnology “Nanoformulation” can resolve these problems and offer numerous advantages. So, encapsulating the EOs has a considerable perspective as commercial insecticide products. Finally, EOs-based insecticides are low toxic, environmental persistence and eco-friendly. Therefore, they are not having worker re-entry and harvest restrictions after treating crops. They are compatible with biological control programs and indigenous natural enemies of pests.