Limitation of plant biopesticides

Abstract

The seeking of new alternatives of synthetic insecticides for the safe environment and health has become an important issue of scientific research which may enable us to obtain safe foods. Although botanical insecticides (BIs) can never entirely replace the amounts of produced synthetic insecticides, they may significantly contribute to seeking the solution of problems associated with application of synthetic pesticides. Three most important arguments support the use of BIs: environmental safety, low or no toxicity for vertebrates and prevention of resistance development. The above-mentioned assets of BIs make us believe in the need of increasing the society-wide efforts leading to further expansion of practical use of these products. However, despite these assets, several limiting factors are associated with BIs that prevent their wider use or restrict their practical applications. This chapter is an effort to critically summarise the advantages and disadvantages of botanical insecticides including major factors that pose limitations to their practical use.