Biologically active essential oils against stored product pests

Abstract

Since the mid-1980s significant attention has been given to essential oils for their potential use in alternative pest management of stored products. Existing synthetic pesticides including methyl bromide and phosphine which are used as fumigants for pest management of stored products have serious adverse properties. These include their toxicity against nontarget organisms, long half-life in the field, and contamination of air/soil/water, etc. In addition to these adverse effects, stored product pests develop resistance to these control agents. The growing world population and increasing food demand together with increasing environmental concerns of society dictates an alternative method for the protection of precious food material. Essential oils produced by plants contain a vast array of secondary metabolites such as derivatives of monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, diterpenes, aromatic compounds, hydrocarbons, and fatty acids. Plants produce essential oils for various purposes. Essential oils are used for attracting pollinators, deterring herbivores, effecting the growth of competitor plant species, and fighting fungal, bacterial, and viral plant diseases in plants. The volatile nature of essential oils and their known action on herbivores makes them a strong alternative in pest management of stored products. This chapter reviews the insecticidal activity of essential oils obtained from various plant species against main granary pests including Sitophilus granarius (L.). , Sitophilus oryzae L., and Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky species of Coleoptera: Curculionidae. In the scope of this chapter essential oil composition and type of activity observed against these pests are summarized, as well as potential areas of research and future prospects. © 2016 by Elsevier, Inc.. All rights reserved.