ARCHIVES
VOL. 11, ISSUE 4 (2026)
Botanical insecticides in sustainable insect pest management: Phytochemistry, modes of action, field performance and translational challenges – An review
Authors
S Sakthivel, Chintapalli Bhanu Vidya Susmita, R K Pugazhenthi, M Harini, K Ilakkiya, V Dharani, R Archan Surya
Abstract
Insect pests remain a leading constraint on
global food production, storage and public health, while the overreliance on
synthetic insecticides has produced resistance, residues, loss of beneficial
fauna and regulatory withdrawal of several active ingredients. Plant-derived
insecticides, or botanicals, are increasingly viewed as components of
integrated pest management (IPM) because they are derived from the chemical
defences that plants evolved against herbivores, often act through multiple
physiological targets, and generally degrade rapidly in the environment. This
review synthesises current knowledge on the evolutionary and chemical basis of
botanical insecticides, the major compound classes (limonoids, pyrethrins,
essential-oil monoterpenoids and phenylpropanoids, alkaloids, acetogenins,
piperamides, saponins, proteins and insect-hormone mimics), their neurotoxic,
antifeedant, growth-regulating, repellent and synergistic modes of action, and
their performance against field, storage and vector pests. Non-target effects,
resistance risk, formulation and nanoencapsulation strategies, regulatory and
commercialisation barriers, and the specific context of smallholder and Indian
agriculture are discussed. A critical appraisal highlights recurring weaknesses
in the literature, including poorly characterised extracts, unrealistic doses
and absent standardisation, and proposes a research agenda for making botanical
insecticides reliable, scalable and registrable.
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Pages:174-182
How to cite this article:
S Sakthivel, Chintapalli Bhanu Vidya Susmita, R K Pugazhenthi, M Harini, K Ilakkiya, V Dharani, R Archan Surya "Botanical insecticides in sustainable insect pest management: Phytochemistry, modes of action, field performance and translational challenges – An review". International Journal of Entomology Research, Vol 11, Issue 4, 2026, Pages 174-182
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