Plant essential oils as multi-target chemical systems in insect pest management: transition from classical lethality to intelligent biological disruption

While conventional pest management grapples with chemical resistance and collapsing ecological resilience, essential oils have evolved beyond mere “green” substitutes into multi-purpose chemical systems that can fundamentally reshape pest control logic. This article offers a conceptual and analytical synthesis that connects laboratory screening to field-scale biological relevance, moving past fragmented descriptionsIts core innovation lies in reframing inconsistencies in essential oil efficacy—not as biological shortcomings, but as consequences of methodological mismatch and neglect of exposure pathway dynamicsThe analysis highlights the true strength of essential oils in shifting from classical lethality (quick kill) toward intelligent disruption. Through cascades of non-lethal and intergenerational effects—such as behavioral impairment, mating disruption, and feeding inhibition—they exert soft selection pressure unattainable by single-target insecticides like neonicotinoids and pyrethroids. In this view, the volatility of essential oils, once considered a drawback, becomes a strategic asset in advanced formulations and controlled-release systems that balance persistence with environmental compatibilityThe review positions essential oils as system-based modulators within integrated pest management (IPM), emphasizing genuine synergy with biological control agents rather than mere pesticide substitution. It also addresses governance barriers, arguing that commercialization stagnation stems from regulatory mismatch between the complex, dynamic nature of essential oil mixtures and the inflexible risk assessment frameworks of the EU and OECDFinally, the article proposes a strategic roadmap to transition from isolated research toward function-tailored governance. By aligning performance metrics with intelligent decision-support models, this framework supports the shift to future-oriented agriculture in which essential oils serve not as marginal alternatives, but as core sustainable components in the ecological redesign of pest management

کلیدواژه ها:

Essential oils ، Sublethal bioactivity ، Green pest control ، Nanostructured formulations ، Integrated Pest Management (IPM) ، Synergistic interactions ، Bio standardization ، Regulatory innovation