Status and Prospects of Botanical Biopesticides in Europe and Mediterranean Countries

Overview

Journal Biomolecules

Publisher MDPI

Specialties Biochemistry
Molecular Biology

Date 2022 Feb 25

PMID 35204810

Authors

Fatma Acheuk

Shereen Basiouni

Awad A Shehata

Katie Dick

Haifa Hajri

Salma Lasram

Mete Yilmaz

Mevlut Emekci

George Tsiamis

Marina Spona-Friedl

Helen May-Simera

Wolfgang Eisenreich

Spyridon Ntougias

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Concerning human and environmental health, safe alternatives to synthetic pesticides are urgently needed. Many of the currently used synthetic pesticides are not authorized for application in organic agriculture. In addition, the developed resistances of various pests against classical pesticides necessitate the urgent demand for efficient and safe products with novel modes of action. Botanical pesticides are assumed to be effective against various crop pests, and they are easily biodegradable and available in high quantities and at a reasonable cost. Many of them may act by diverse yet unexplored mechanisms of action. It is therefore surprising that only few plant species have been developed for commercial usage as biopesticides. This article reviews the status of botanical pesticides, especially in Europe and Mediterranean countries, deepening their active principles and mechanisms of action. Moreover, some constraints and challenges in the development of novel biopesticides are highlighted.

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