Botanical Antifeedants: An Alternative Approach to Pest Control

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Entomology
• Ethnobotany

Background:

• Synthetic insecticides pose environmental and health risks, compounded by pest resistance.
• Developing ecological alternatives is crucial for sustainable pest management.
• Plant-derived antifeedants offer a non-toxic approach to reduce insect feeding.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify plants with potent antifeedant properties for pest control.
• To evaluate extracts, essential oils (EOs), and isolated compounds from various plant species.
• To select plants suitable for industrial-scale production of botanical antifeedants.

Main Methods:

• Comprehensive literature review and comparative analysis of effective concentrations/doses of plant antifeedants.
• Screening of extracts and essential oils from 85 plant species across 35 families.
• Identification of 38 aromatic plant species from 11 families for their essential oils.

Main Results:

• Identified 85 plant species yielding effective antifeedant extracts and 38 species providing potent essential oils.
• Highlighted eight key plant species: Angelica archangelica, Caesalpinia bonduc, Grindelia camporum, Inula auriculata, Lavandula luisieri, Mentha pulegium, Piper hispidinervum, and Vitis vinifera.
• These selected plants demonstrate significant antifeedant potential and offer sufficient biomass for commercial development.

Conclusions:

• Several plant species possess strong antifeedant properties valuable for pest management.
• Angelica archangelica, Vitis vinifera, and others are promising candidates for developing novel botanical insecticides.
• These findings support the transition towards sustainable and eco-friendly pest control strategies.