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Agriculture
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Biopesticides: The Naturally Originating Plant Protection Products and Biocides
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Biopesticides: The Naturally Originating Plant Protection Products and Biocides

A special issue of Agriculture (ISSN 2077-0472). This special issue belongs to the section "Crop Protection, Diseases, Pests and Weeds".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 July 2021) | Viewed by 22489

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Nikoletta Ntalii

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Guest Editor
Department of Pesticides Control and Phytopharmacy, Benaki Phytopathological Institute, 8, S. Delta str., 14561 Kifissia, Athens, Greece
Interests: pest management with eco-friendly tools; pesticidal and biocidal secondary metabolites; phytochemistry and bioactivity; mode of action; synergism of active ingredients; side effects on non-target organisms; formulation issues; resistance management
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Pesticides are the substances that prevent, repel, suppress, mitigate, or eradicate harmful organisms. They include both “plant protection products” (used in agriculture) and “biocidal products” (used to control pests or bacteria of medical importance or to protect materials). In recent years, the number of synthetic pesticides has been drastically restricted in the EU because of their environmental side effects and subsequent non-inclusion in Annex I of 91/414/EEC. The small number of resulting commercial pesticidal formulates has led to resistance issues and low efficacy. Thus, there is an urgent need to develop new, effective, and safe pesticides. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the term “biopesticides” describes pesticides derived from natural materials as animals, plants, bacteria, and certain minerals. Biopesticides tend to pose fewer risks than conventional pesticides, and recent advantages in food safety generally associate them with Biological Control and IPM, aiming at the reduced use of synthetic pesticides. The “low-risk plant protection products” contain “low-risk substances” that meet the regular approval criteria, and in addition, the low-risk criteria as specified in Annex II, point 5 of Regulation (EC) 1107/2009. There are specific criteria for chemical substances and for micro-organisms. For instance, edible biopesticides of botanical origin may be considered “low risk” (EC) 1107/2009 Article 22 and 47, necessitating a smaller experimental dataset for registration purposes. Similarly, biocidal products containing one or more ‘‘low risk’’ active substance(s) are eligible for a ‘‘simplified authorization procedure’’. In recent years, several natural, plant secondary metabolites have been proven to exhibit significant pesticidal activity and can be prepared in a “green”, easy, and cost-effective way, not employing organic solvents or sophisticated extraction procedures. These crude extracts, composed of a wide variety of constituent secondary metabolites, often act at multiple or novel target sites, reducing the likelihood of resistance development. Some are even proven to inhibit the cytochrome P450 detoxification agents, acting thus synergically with synthetic formulates.

This Special Issue welcomes articles (original research papers and reviews) that focus on pesticides of natural origin (both plant protection products and biocides), efficacy issues, chemical composition and bioactivity, standardization of extraction, mechanisms of activity, phytotoxicity issues, secondary effects on non-target organisms, synergic interactions between active ingredients, synergic interactions with synthetic commercial formulates, inhibition of the cytochrome P450 detoxification agents and resistance management, fate in the environment, and formulation and authorization issues.

Dr. Nikoletta Ntalii
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Agriculture is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Biopesticides
  • Secondary metabolites
  • Biological activity
  • Mode of action
  • Synergism
  • Resistance management
  • Formulation
  • Authorization
  • Fate
  • Secondary effects on non-target organisms

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research, Review

4 pages, 168 KiB  
Editorial
Biopesticides: Naturally Originating Plant Protection Products and Biocides
by Nikoletta Ntalli
Agriculture 2022, 12(7), 964; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12070964 - 05 Jul 2022
Viewed by 1298
Abstract
Pesticides are substances that prevent, repel, suppress, mitigate, or eradicate harmful organisms [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biopesticides: The Naturally Originating Plant Protection Products and Biocides)

Research

Jump to: Editorial, Review

15 pages, 3662 KiB  
Article
Antifungal Activity of the Dry Biomass of Penicillium chrysogenum F-24-28 and Is Application in Combination with Azoxystrobin for Efficient Crop Protection
by Nataliya V. Karpova, Vera V. Yaderets, Elena V. Glagoleva, Kseniya S. Petrova, Alexander I. Ovchinnikov and Vakhtang V. Dzhavakhiya
Agriculture 2021, 11(10), 935; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture11100935 - 28 Sep 2021
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2180
Abstract
The developing resistance of plant pathogenic fungi to commercial fungicides has become a serious problem for efficient plant disease control. The use of antifungal preparations based on living microorganisms or their metabolites represents one of the possible environmentally friendly approaches. However, since a [...] Read more.
The developing resistance of plant pathogenic fungi to commercial fungicides has become a serious problem for efficient plant disease control. The use of antifungal preparations based on living microorganisms or their metabolites represents one of the possible environmentally friendly approaches. However, since a complete rejection of chemical fungicides is impossible, the combining of biopreparations and fungicides may be considered a promising biocontrol approach. Promising strains for the development of antifungal biopreparations include Penicillium fungi producing various biologically active compounds with antimicrobial and antiviral activities. A dry biomass of the P. chrysogenum F-24-28 strain (DMP) obtained from the P. chrysogenum VKPM F-1310 strain by induced mutagenesis possessed a high antifungal efficiency. According to in vitro experiments, supplementation of agarized medium with DMP (7.5–10 g/L) resulted in a significant growth inhibition in several plant pathogenic Fusarium fungi. The combination of DMP with a commercial azoxystrobin-based fungicide resulted in a prolonged growth inhibition in F. oxysporum, F. graminearum and F. culmorum even at fungicide concentrations significantly below the recommended level (0.5–2.5 mg/L or 2.5–12.5 g/ha vs. the recommended 100–275 g/ha). These results demonstrate a possibility to develop an efficient environmentally friendly biopreparation suitable to control crop diseases caused by a wide range of plant pathogens, and to prevent a possible selection and spreading of resistant pathogen strains. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biopesticides: The Naturally Originating Plant Protection Products and Biocides)
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14 pages, 1433 KiB  
Article
Biopesticide Evaluation from Lab to Greenhouse Scale of Essential Oils Used against Macrosiphum euphorbiae
by Lana Dunan, Tara Malanga, Philippe Bearez, Sylvain Benhamou, Lucie S. Monticelli, Nicolas Desneux, Thomas Michel and Anne-Violette Lavoir
Agriculture 2021, 11(9), 867; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture11090867 - 10 Sep 2021
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3323
Abstract
Aphids are recognized as a major threat to economically important crops. Their control is predominantly based on synthetic insecticides that are detrimental to human health and the environment. Botanical pesticides based on essential oils (EOs) are a promising alternative. In this study, the [...] Read more.
Aphids are recognized as a major threat to economically important crops. Their control is predominantly based on synthetic insecticides that are detrimental to human health and the environment. Botanical pesticides based on essential oils (EOs) are a promising alternative. In this study, the entomotoxicity of green anise and fennel EO fumigation was tested on the potato aphid Macrosiphum euphorbiae. Three different settings of increasing scale were considered (leaflet, whole plant and greenhouse) to appraise the consistency of EO impact from controlled laboratory to greenhouse production conditions. LC50 values for green anise and fennel were 6.6 μl L−1air and 12.2 μl L−1air, respectively, based on dose-response curves in leaflet experiments but fennel EO induced phytotoxicity. EO efficiency was confirmed at the whole-plant scale. In the greenhouse experiment, fennel EO exhibited greater efficiency than at the laboratory scale equaling green anise EO efficiency but both EOs showed delayed phytotoxicity, illustrating the importance of long-term monitoring. The present study revealed the ability of both EOs to control M. euphorbiae populations under greenhouse conditions and hinted at the importance of assessing EO efficiency in realistic agronomic conditions (e.g., under the fluctuating environmental conditions usually occurring in greenhouses). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biopesticides: The Naturally Originating Plant Protection Products and Biocides)
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11 pages, 1572 KiB  
Article
Sub-Lethal Effects of Lecanicillium lecanii (Zimmermann)-Derived Partially Purified Protein and Its Potential Implication in Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) Defense against Bemisia tabaci Gennadius (Aleyrodidae: Hemiptera)
by Yusuf Ali Abdulle, Talha Nazir, Samy Sayed, Samy F. Mahmoud, Muhammad Zeeshan Majeed, Hafiz Muhammad Usman Aslam, Zubair Iqbal, Muhammad Shahid Nisar, Azhar Uddin Keerio, Habib Ali and Dewen Qiu
Agriculture 2021, 11(8), 778; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture11080778 - 15 Aug 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3467
Abstract
Whiteflies, Bemisia tabaci Gennadius (Aleyrodidae: Hemiptera), are a polyphagous economically destructive pest of several solanaceous crops around the world. Many secondary metabolites are synthesized by different biotrophic and necrotrophic fungi which are capable of inducing systemic resistance in plants against various phytophagous pests. [...] Read more.
Whiteflies, Bemisia tabaci Gennadius (Aleyrodidae: Hemiptera), are a polyphagous economically destructive pest of several solanaceous crops around the world. Many secondary metabolites are synthesized by different biotrophic and necrotrophic fungi which are capable of inducing systemic resistance in plants against various phytophagous pests. The present laboratory work demonstrated the anti-insect impact of a protein extracted and purified partially from an entomopathogenic fungus (EPF) Lecanicillium lecanii (Zimmermann) against B. tabaci. Three different concentrations (i.e., 7.43, 11.15, and 22.31 μg mL−1) of this protein were bioassayed to assess its effect on the fecundity rate of B. tabaci on cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) plants. Furthermore, the possible implication of this fungal protein in defense pathways of cotton plants was evaluated by determining the expression profiles of salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA) pathways related to major genes through reverse transcription qPCR (RT-qPCR). According to the results, all protein concentrations exerted a significant (F3, 252 = 62.51; p ≤ 0.001) and negative impact on the fecundity rate of B. tabaci females. At the highest protein concentration (22.31 μg mL−1), the minimum rate of fecundity (i.e., 2.46 eggs female−1day−1) of B. tabaci was noted on the seventh day, whereas fecundity rates for the other two protein concentrations (i.e., 11.15 and 7.43 μg mL−1) were, respectively, 3.06 and 3.90 eggs day−1 female−1. The maximum rate of fecundity (6.01 eggs female−1day−1) was recorded in untreated (control) treatments. In addition, the foliar application of L. lecanii derived protein significantly upregulated all SA linked genes (OPR3, PPO1 and COI1) and slightly triggered up the JA linked genes (LOX1, UBQ7 and AOS) in the cotton plants. These findings revealed that this L. lecanii extracted partially purified protein triggered systemic resistance against B. tabaci in the cotton plants, proposing its putative effectiveness as an innovative biological control technique against B. tabaci and other phloem-feeding hemipteran pests. Nevertheless, further investigations such as purification and molecular and functional characterization of this L. lecanii-derived partially purified protein are required. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biopesticides: The Naturally Originating Plant Protection Products and Biocides)
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12 pages, 5274 KiB  
Article
The Effect of Botanicals with Nematicidal Activity on the Structural and Functional Characteristics of the Soil Nematode Community
by Nikolaos Monokrousos, Maria D. Argyropoulou, Kalliopi Tzani, Urania Menkissoglou-Spiroudi, George Boutsis, Trifone D’Addabbo and Nikoletta Ntalli
Agriculture 2021, 11(4), 326; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture11040326 - 07 Apr 2021
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2364
Abstract
We investigated the effects of three botanicals with nematicidal properties (anise-Pimpinella anisum, parsley-Petroselinum crispum, and rocket-Eruca sativa) on the soil nematode community, in terms of trophic structure and nematode genera composition. We compared effects with those of fluopyram [...] Read more.
We investigated the effects of three botanicals with nematicidal properties (anise-Pimpinella anisum, parsley-Petroselinum crispum, and rocket-Eruca sativa) on the soil nematode community, in terms of trophic structure and nematode genera composition. We compared effects with those of fluopyram (synthetic nematicide) and Nemagold (bionematicide). We assessed the role of time, by sampling 15 and 45 days after treatments and analyzing nematode genera and microbial phospholipid fatty acid biomarkers (PLFA). Soil incorporation of botanicals reduced plant parasitic nematodes, increased bacterivores, especially the enrichment opportunists and among them Rhabditis, having no effect on fungivores and non-parasitic plant feeders. Neither the number nor the composition and dominance hierarchy of nematode genera were affected. Nemagold did not induce any significant change, while fluopyram decreased both free-living and parasitic nematodes, but with no uniform effect against all genera. The least affected genus was the fungivorous Aphelenchus. While most microbial PLFAs increased with time, the abundances of nematode genera did not change, except the Meloidogyne incognita second stage juveniles, which emerged in soil only 45 days after treatments. The low enrichment index and high channel index values of the fluopyram soil samples indicated a stressful environment. The opposite was observed in the botanical treatments, especially parsley and rocket. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biopesticides: The Naturally Originating Plant Protection Products and Biocides)
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11 pages, 318 KiB  
Article
Chemical Composition and Broad-Spectrum Insecticidal Activity of the Flower Essential Oil from an Ancient Sicilian Food Plant, Ridolfia segetum
by Natale Badalamenti, Vincenzo Ilardi, Maurizio Bruno, Roman Pavela, Maria C. Boukouvala, Nickolas G. Kavallieratos, Filippo Maggi, Angelo Canale and Giovanni Benelli
Agriculture 2021, 11(4), 304; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture11040304 - 01 Apr 2021
Cited by 31 | Viewed by 3012
Abstract
Several species of the family Apiaceae are aromatic herbs that produce essential oils usable on an industrial scale for pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food purposes. In particular, some essential oils, such as green insecticides for example, may replace synthetic insecticides, keeping most of their [...] Read more.
Several species of the family Apiaceae are aromatic herbs that produce essential oils usable on an industrial scale for pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food purposes. In particular, some essential oils, such as green insecticides for example, may replace synthetic insecticides, keeping most of their efficacy and avoiding environmental pollution or human poisoning. In the present study, we explored the insecticidal potential of Ridolfia segetum (L.) Moris essential oil (EO) against three different pests: Culex quinquefasciatus Say, Musca domestica L., and Spodoptera littoralis (Boisduval). For this purpose, the EO was obtained by hydrodistillation of flowers and its composition was achieved by gas chromatography/flame ionization detection (GC/FID) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). This EO was rich in α-phellandrene (49.3%), β-phellandrene (9.2%), terpinolene (20.7%), and piperitenone oxide (5.9%). Concerning the mosquitocidal efficacy, the EO showed noteworthy toxicity against C. quinquefasciatus 3rd instar larvae, with a LC50 = 27.1 µL L−1 and LC90 = 42.5 µL L−1. Regarding M. domestica, a different toxicity of the R. segetum EO was found on male and female flies, calculating LD50 values of 10.5 and 50.8 µg adult−1, respectively. The EO was also toxic to S. littoralis 3rd instar larvae, achieving LD50 and LD90 values of 37.9 and 99.6 µg larva−1, respectively. Overall, this flower EO, extracted from a traditional Sicilian food plant, merits further investigation for the development of green insecticide formulations to be used in real world conditions, pending a careful assessment of non-target toxicity on beneficial organisms. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biopesticides: The Naturally Originating Plant Protection Products and Biocides)

Review

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36 pages, 558 KiB  
Review
Controlling Stored Products’ Pests with Plant Secondary Metabolites: A Review
by Polyxeni Nikolaou, Paweł Marciniak, Zbigniew Adamski and Nikoletta Ntalli
Agriculture 2021, 11(9), 879; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture11090879 - 14 Sep 2021
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 4965
Abstract
To date, only a handful of pesticides have been authorized by the European Council for the protection of stored grains. Resistance issues and ecotoxicity concerns necessitate the development of ecofriendly tools in that direction. In this review, we refer to the recent findings [...] Read more.
To date, only a handful of pesticides have been authorized by the European Council for the protection of stored grains. Resistance issues and ecotoxicity concerns necessitate the development of ecofriendly tools in that direction. In this review, we refer to the recent findings on plant extracts and pure plant-derived substances with promising biological activity and the potential to be used as biopesticides for stored products. The main aim of biopesticides is to be effective against target pests, without harming humans and the environment. Many plant species, among those reported herein, are part of the human diet, and are thus not harmful to humans. Edible plant extracts produced with inorganic solvents represent safe candidates for use as repellants, fumigants or contact pesticides. Cinnamon, rosemary, parsley, garlic, oregano and basil are found in products destined for human consumption but also display significant biological activities. Interestingly, cinnamon is one of the most widely tested botanical matrixes, exhibiting the best lethal effects on almost all insect and mite taxa reported herein (Acaroidea, Coleoptera and Lepidoptera), followed by basil and garlic. Prunus persica,Azadirachta indica A. Juss and Carum sp. seem to be very promising too as miticides and/or insecticides, with A. indica already being represented commercially by a plant-derived acaricidal formulation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biopesticides: The Naturally Originating Plant Protection Products and Biocides)
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