Plant-Derived Insecticides Under Meta-Analyses: Status, Biases, and Knowledge Gaps

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Ecology
• Entomology

Background:

• Botanical insecticides, a type of biopesticide, are gaining significant research interest.
• Over 2500 papers on botanical insecticides were published between 1945 and 2019, indicating a surge in studies since the 1990s.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a meta-analysis of literature on botanical insecticides to identify research trends and biases.
• To provide insights into the current status of research on botanical insecticides and their application in pest management.

Main Methods:

• Literature survey of over 2500 papers on botanical insecticides from 1945 to 2019 using the Web of Science database.
• Meta-analysis to identify prevalent plant families, targeted arthropod species, and types of assessments (mortality vs. sublethal).

Main Results:

• Research has predominantly focused on Meliaceae and a few other plant families, despite investigation into approximately 190 families.
• Studies exhibit a strong bias towards targeting pest species (ca. 95%) over non-target species (p < 0.001).
• Mortality assessments are more common than sublethal assessments (p < 0.01), overlooking crucial sublethal effects and exposure dynamics.

Conclusions:

• Biases in current research, particularly the neglect of non-target species and sublethal effects, create significant knowledge gaps.
• These omissions may impede the effective and responsible practical application of botanical insecticides in integrated pest management strategies.
• Further research should address these biases to fully understand the ecological impact and efficacy of botanical insecticides.