When Scent Becomes a Weapon—Plant Essential Oils as Potent Bioinsecticides

Nina Devrnja, Milica Milutinović and Jelena Savić
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Nina Devrnja: Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”—National Institute of Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Bulevar Despota Stefana 142, 11060 Belgrade, Serbia
Milica Milutinović: Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”—National Institute of Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Bulevar Despota Stefana 142, 11060 Belgrade, Serbia
Jelena Savić: Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”—National Institute of Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Bulevar Despota Stefana 142, 11060 Belgrade, Serbia

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 11, 1-16

Abstract: Crop protection still mostly relies on synthetic pesticides for crop pest control. However, the rationale for their continued use is shaded by the revealed adverse effects, such as relatively long environmental persistence that leads to water and soil contamination and retention of residues in food that brings high risks to human and animal health. As part of integrated pest management, biopesticides may provide crop protection, being eco-friendly and safe for humans and non-target organisms. Essential oils, complex mixtures of low-molecular-weight, highly volatile compounds, have been highlighted as major candidates for plant-derived bioinsecticides that are up to the sustainable biological standard. In this review, we screened the insecticidal activity of essential oils or their purified compounds, with focus given to their modes of action, along with the analyzed advantages and problems associated with their wider usage as plant-derived insecticides in agriculture.

Keywords: plant-based pesticides; integrated pest management; insecticidal mode of action; nanoformulations (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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