Bioinsecticides based on plant essential oils: a short overview

Interest in the discovery and development of plant essential oils for use as bioinsecticides has grown enormously in the past 20 years. However, successful commercialization and utilization of crop protection products based on essential oils has thus far lagged far behind their promise based on this large body of research, most notably because with the exceptions of the USA and Australia, such products receive no special status from regulatory agencies that approve new pesticides for use. Essential oil-based insecticides have now been used in the USA for well over a decade, and more recently have seen use in the European Union (EU), Korea, and about a dozen other countries, with demonstrated efficacy against a wide range of pests and in numerous crop systems. For the most part these products are based on commodity essential oils developed as flavor and fragrance agents for the food and cosmetic industries, as there are formidable logistic, economic, and regulatory challenges to the use of many other essential oils that otherwise possess potentially useful bioactivity against pests. In spite of these limitations, the overall prospects for biopesticides, including those based on essential oils, are encouraging as the demand for sustainably-produced and/or organic food continues to increase worldwide.