scholarly journals Application of essential oils in plant protection against pest insects – paper review

2013 ◽  
Vol 53 (1) ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 60 (3) ◽  
pp. 161-172 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iwona Skrzecz ◽  
Aldona Perlińska

Abstract Current problems of forest protection concern the declining health of forest stands due to climate change and the resulting extreme weather events such as heat waves, droughts, hurricane winds, heavy rainfalls and floods. Repeated impacts of these factors increase susceptibility of forest stands to pest insects and fungal pathogens. Norway spruce (Picea abies [L.] H. Karst) is sensitive to high air temperatures and water shortage. Long lasting droughts during the last two decades, have been one of the reasons behind Norway spruce dieback due to severe outbreak of European spruce bark beetle Ips typographus (L.) in the mountainous regions of southern Poland. In the Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) stands, water balance disorders have enhanced the colonization of weekend trees by steelblue jewel beetle Phaenops cyanea (F.) and engraver beetle Ips acuminatus (Gyll.), as well as contributed to the spread of fungal diseases caused by Gremmeniella abietina (Lagerb.) Cenangium ferruginosum Fr. and Sphaeropsis sapinea Fr. fungi. Water related stress leads to weakening of oak stands, which are attacked by Agrilus spp. beetles and pathogens from the genus Phytophthora. It is possible that long lasting droughts initiated the spread of infectious ash disease caused by Hymenoscyphus fraxineus (= Chalara fraxinea), which resulted in the epidemic of ash dieback throughout Europe. Until recently, the use of plant protection products was the most common method of forest protection against pest insects and pathogens. Poland’s accession to the European Union has affected the marketing and use of plant protection products in the country. The implementation of the EU legislation (Directive 91/414/EEC, Directive 2009/128/ EC and Regulation No 1107/2009) has resulted in decreased assortment of pesticides registered for the protection of forests. High costs and long registration process considerably limited the interest of producers in placing the plant protection products on the market. Systematic decrease in the number of plant protection products possible to register for use in forestry, as well as the principles of integrated plant protection established in the EU in 2014 call for seeking plant protection methods based on the natural enemies of pests, such as pathogenic microorganisms, parasites and predators. Therefore, contemporary forest protection requires the advancement of integrated methods for pest insect and disease control through developing methods of forecasting forest dangers, the use of natural enemies and agro-technical methods for regulation of pests, as well as the development of decision support systems as a tool facilitating introduction of integrated forest protection principles. Such support systems help to establish optimal terms for the implementation of protection measures, so as to increase their efficiency while limiting the use of chemical pesticides to an absolute minimum.


Insects ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 465
Author(s):  
Magdolna Olívia Szelényi ◽  
Anna Laura Erdei ◽  
Júlia Katalin Jósvai ◽  
Dalma Radványi ◽  
Bence Sümegi ◽  
...  

The box tree moth (Cydalima perspectalis Walker) is an invasive species in Europe causing severe damage both in natural and ornamental boxwood (Buxus spp.) vegetation. Pest management tactics are often based on the use of chemical insecticides, whereas environmentally-friendly control solutions are not available against this insect. The application of essential oils may provide effective protection against oviposition and subsequent larval damage. Oviposition deterrence of cinnamon, eucalyptus and lavender essential oils was tested on female C. perspectalis in behavioural bioassays. Our results indicate that all the studied essential oils may be adequate deterrents; however, cinnamon oil exhibited the strongest effect. To determine the physiologically active compounds in the headspace of the essential oils, gas chromatography coupled with electroantennography recordings were performed in parallel with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to identify the volatile constituents. In addition, the release rates of various components from vial-wick dispensers were measured during the oviposition bioassay. These results may serve as a basis for the development of a practical and insecticide-free plant protection method against this invasive moth species.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 561-569
Author(s):  
Irina S. Agasyeva ◽  
Maria V. Nefedova

Research aimed at studying the control of the number of pests of many agricultural crops – Halyomorpha halys Stål, was carried out during 2018-2020 on the territory of the Central zone of Krasnodar Krai. In the experiments, there were used individuals of a brown marmorated stink bug, caught by hand and using a pheromone trap at different stations (tree and shrub vegetation, soybean crops). In 2020, the dynamics of the abundance of the brown marmorated stink bug was monitored since the end of May (the time of the appearance of the first individuals of H. halys) to the third decade of October. Among the natural entomophages in Krasnodar Krai, two species of parasitic insects were found: Pediobius cassidae Erdos. (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) and Anastatus bifasciatus Geoffroy (Hymenoptera: Eupelmidae), infecting about 5-10 % of H. halys eggs in the field, which did not significantly affect the abundance of the brown marmorated stink bug. In the laboratory, essential oils from several botanical families were tested: Umbelliferae, Compositae, Abies. Essential oils of wormwood, coriander and Siberian fir showed a toxic effect against the brown marmorated stink bug; the death of adults on the tenth day was 100, 95.0 and 93.7 %, respectively. Also, on the soybean crops of the Arleta variety, field tests were carried out to study the efficacy of bio-rational preparations Biostop, P and an experimental preparation developed at the Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution "Federal Research Center of Biological Plant Protection" (FSBSI FRCBPP). The experimental preparation of FRCBPP caused the death of 64.2 % of individuals of H. halys, Biostop, P – 70.1 %.


2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-19
Author(s):  
Tamás Hochbaum ◽  
Marietta Petróczy ◽  
Márta Ladányi ◽  
Géza Nagy

Abstract Though profitable crop production can be more simply achieved by using synthetic pesticides, the research of alternative plant protection solutions is necessary. The effect of the volatile oils of cinnamon, thyme, and a copper ingredient fertilizer were tested for their activity against apple scab and powdery mildew in apple orchards in 2014 and 2017. Oils applied alone or in combination were effective against apple scab in 2014 and in 2017 and against powdery mildew on leaves in 2017. The copper ingredient fertilizer product improved the efficacy of the oils. The results of these trials show that the tested volatile oils are suitable candidates for further research and for the development of organic fungicides against the diseases of apple.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Markus Rienth ◽  
Julien Crovadore ◽  
Sana Ghaffari ◽  
François Lefort

AbstractThe reduction of synthetic fungicides in agriculture a major challenge in maintaining sustainable production, protecting the environment and consumers’ health. Downy mildew caused by the oomycete Plasmopora viticola is the major pathogen in viticulture worldwide and responsible for up to 60% of pesticide treatments. Alternatives to reduce fungicides are thus utterly needed to ensure sustainable vineyard-ecosystems, consumer health and public acceptance. Essential oils (EOs) are amongst the most promising natural plant protection alternatives and have shown their antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal properties on several agricultural crops. However, the efficiency of EOs highly depends on timing, application method and the molecular interactions between the host, the pathogen and EO. Despite proven EO efficiency, the underlying processes are still not understood and remain a black box. The objectives of the present study were: a) to evaluate whether a continuous fumigation of a particular EO can control downy mildew in order to circumvent the drawbacks of direct application, b) to decipher molecular mechanisms that could be triggered in the host and the pathogen by EO application and c) to try to differentiate whether essential oils directly repress the oomycete or act as plant resistance primers.A custom-made climatic chamber was used for a continuous fumigation of potted vines with different EOs during long-term experiments. The grapevine (Vitis vinifera) cv Chasselas was chosen in reason of its high susceptibility to Plasmopara viticola. Grapevine cuttings were infected with P. viticola. and subsequently exposed to continuous fumigation of different EOs at different concentrations, during 2 application time spans (24 hours and 10 days). Experiments were stopped when infection symptoms were clearly observed on the leaves of the control plants. Plant physiology (photosynthesis and growth rate parameters) were recorded and leaves were sampled at different time points for subsequent RNA extraction and transcriptomics analysis. Strikingly, the Oregano vulgare essential oil vapour treatment during 24h post-infection proved to be sufficient to reduce downy mildew development by 95%. Total RNA was extracted from leaves of 24h and 10d treatments and used for whole transcriptome shotgun sequencing (RNA-seq). Sequenced reads were then mapped onto the V. vinifera and P. viticola genomes. Less than 1% of reads could be mapped onto the P. viticola genome from treated samples, whereas up to 30 % reads from the controls mapped onto the P. viticola genome, thereby confirming the visual observation of P. viticola absence in the treated plants. On average, 80 % of reads could be mapped onto the V. vinifera genome for differential expression analysis, which yielded 4800 modulated genes. Transcriptomic data clearly showed that the treatment triggered the plant’s innate immune system with genes involved in salicylic, jasmonic acid and ethylene synthesis and signaling, activating Pathogenenesis-Related-proteins as well as phytoalexin synthesis.These results elucidate EO-host-pathogen interactions for the first time and indicate that the antifungal efficiency of EO is mainly due to the triggering of resistance pathways inside the host plants. This is of major importance for the production and research on biopesticides, plant stimulation products and for resistance-breeding strategiesAuthor SummaryThe reduction of synthetic plant protection products is a major concern of modern agriculture. The oomycetePlasmopora viticolawhich causes downy mildew in grapevine is amongst the most important grapevine pests and responsible for the dispersion of huge amounts of pesticides in vineyards. Among the evaluated alternatives to reduce or replace synthetic pesticides, plant volatile compounds could represent a sustainable solution. Some plant essential oils (EOs) have already shown antifungal capacities. However, their application is often difficult in terms of the right timing of treatment, degradation, bad rainfastness, mixability and phytotoxicity.The aim of the present work was to investigate whether the vapour phase, applied by a continuous fumigation of different EOs, might inhibit the development of downy mildew on grapevine, and in case of proven efficiency, to study the induced transcriptomic changes by RNA-sequencing in an attempt to elucidate the underlaying molecular interactions. Our results showed that the vapour phases ofO. vulgareandT. vulgariswere highly efficient against the pathogen. The study of differentially expressed genes indicated that the EO vapour triggered the main mechanisms of the plant’s innate immune system such as PTI (Pattern-Triggered Immunity) and ETI (Effector Triggered immunity).For the first time these results highlight the effects of EOs vapour on plant genes expression, which is very valuable information for the development of new natural plant protection products, as well as for breeding disease resistant cultivars.


Foods ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 1418
Author(s):  
Caroline De Clerck ◽  
Simon Dal Maso ◽  
Olivier Parisi ◽  
Frédéric Dresen ◽  
Abdesselam Zhiri ◽  
...  

Nowadays, the demand for a reduction of chemical pesticides use is growing. In parallel, the development of alternative methods to protect crops from pathogens and pests is also increasing. Essential oil (EO) properties against plant pathogens are well known, and they are recognized as having an interesting potential as alternative plant protection products. In this study, 90 commercially available essential oils have been screened in vitro for antifungal and antibacterial activity against 10 plant pathogens of agronomical importance. EOs have been tested at 500 and 1000 ppm, and measures have been made at three time points for fungi (24, 72 and 120 h of contact) and every two hours for 12 h for bacteria, using Elisa microplates. Among the EOs tested, the ones from Allium sativum, Corydothymus capitatus, Cinnamomum cassia, Cinnamomum zeylanicum, Cymbopogon citratus, Cymbopogon flexuosus, Eugenia caryophyllus, and Litsea citrata were particularly efficient and showed activity on a large panel of pathogens. Among the pathogens tested, Botrytis cinerea, Fusarium culmorum, and Fusarium graminearum were the most sensitive, while Colletotrichum lindemuthianum and Phytophthora infestans were the less sensitive. Some EOs, such as the ones from A. sativum, C. capitatus, C. cassia, C. zeylanicum, C. citratus, C. flexuosus, E. caryophyllus, and L. citrata, have a generalist effect, and are active on several pathogens (7 to 10). These oils are rich in phenols, phenylpropanoids, organosulfur compounds, and/or aldehydes. Others, such as EOs from Citrus sinensis, Melaleucacajputii, and Vanilla fragrans, seem more specific, and are only active on one to three pathogens. These oils are rich in terpenes and aldehydes.


2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhenya Li ◽  
Hezhong Wang ◽  
Shiheng An ◽  
Xinming Yin

Abstract Background Nanomaterials in plant protection promise many benefits over conventional pesticide products. Nano-enabled pesticides may alter the functionality or risk profile of active ingredients. Cationic nanochitin whiskers (NC) possess strong biological activity against wheat aphids. However, toxicity and synergistic effects of NC with chemical pesticides against pest insects has not been systemically reported. This study investigated the insecticidal enhancement by NC with Omethoate (40% EC), Imidacloprid (10% WP), and Acetamiprid (40% WG) for pest control using wheat aphid as piercing-sucking mouthparts insect. Fluorescein isothiocyanate labelled NC was used to monitor the uptake and transportation pathway of NC inside the target insects. Toxicity of NC was tested with Sprague-Dawley (SD) rat. Our findings provide a theoretical basis for future application of NC in plant protection against pest insects. Results NCs synthesized by acidic hydrolysis were rod-like nanoparticles in a range of 50–150 nm in length and 30–50 nm in width, which examined by electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering methods. The charge density and zeta potential were about 63 mmol/kg and + 36.4 mV, respectively. By absorption and/or contact action of 30–50 mg/L of NC suspension, the corrected mortality of wheat aphids reached up to 80% or above after 12 h treatment, NC could be distributed through digestive system and relocated from mouth to other tissues inside the insect body. When associated with dilutions of conventional pesticides, the corrected mortality were significantly increased up to 95% or above. The dosage of the chemical pesticide and nanochitin in the mixtures (1:1 by volume) were all reduced to half. The acute oral toxicity Lethal Dose 50% (LD50) to SD rat is greater than 5000 mg/kg BW (body weight) in male and female, acute dermal toxicity LD50 is greater than 2000 mg/kg BW of NC. Conclusions NC has a strong promotive effect on insecticidal effectiveness of chemical insecticides. It was easily absorbed by plant, transported and distributed from mouth to other tissues of the insects while sucking plant fluid. Low acute oral and dermal toxicity to SD rat indicated that it is safe to apply in agriculture and food industry. NCs has a great potential for water-based nanopesticide formulation to reduce chemical pesticide use for future agro-environmental sustainability.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leonid Voloşciuc ◽  
◽  
Boris Pînzaru ◽  
Tatiana Scerbacova ◽  
Aurelia Stingaci ◽  
...  

The global population is projected to increase by 30 % to 9,2 billion by 2050 and this increased population density is estimated to increase demand for food production by 70 %. One of the principal di-rections of biological plant protection is elaboration of technologies for production and application of bio-logical preparations for combat not only of the noxious insects but also of pathogen agents which cannot be efficiently combated by other means of biological control. This report presents the results of state reg-istration of 5 baculoviral, 1 bacterial and 3 fungal preparations for combating pest insects, phytopathogen agents and nematodes.


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