Sustainability Issues in Plant Growth and Development: Environmentally Friendly Alternatives for Pest Management
A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Agriculture".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2025 | Viewed by 1350
Special Issue Editor
Interests: agricultural entomology, with an emphasis on integrated pest management; toxicology of bioinsecticides; essential oils; and ecology applied to agricultural pest management Photo:
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The search for environmentally friendly alternatives in pest management has intensified because of the need to reduce the negative impacts of organosynthetic pesticides. Biological control, pheromones, and bioinsecticides are promising alternatives to conventional management. Biological control, a technique that uses living organisms to control pest populations, has emerged as an effective and sustainable option. Predatory insects, parasitoids, and entomopathogens are examples of biological control agents.
Moreover, the use of pheromones in pest management can be an effective and sustainable strategy. These substances can be employed to monitor the presence of pests, confuse their reproduction, attract them to traps, or disorient them in their search for food, thus reducing the need for pesticides.
Another approach is the use of bioinsecticides, which are products based on living organisms or their derivatives, with insecticidal action. Among these, botanical insecticides, which are derived from plants, have attracted interest due to their effectiveness and low environmental impact. Botanical extracts and essential oils are examples of these compounds, and they show insecticidal activity against various agricultural pests.
The combination of these approaches, along with integrated pest management practices, can significantly reduce dependence on organosynthetic pesticides and promote the sustainability of agricultural systems. It is essential for the scientific community to continue researching and developing new alternatives to reduce environmental impact and promote the health of agroecosystems.
I look forward to receiving your contributions.
Prof. Dr. Leandro Bacci
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- sustainability
- integrated pest management
- biological pest control
- natural enemies
- pheromone
- chemical ecology
- biopesticide
- ecotoxicology
- plant extract
- sustainable agriculture
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