%0 Journal Article
%T Do Botanical Insecticides Deliver Sustainable Control at Scale? An Evidence Synthesis of Efficacy, Variability, Resistance, and Ecotoxicological Trade-Offs
%A Victor Santos
%A Ana Beatriz
%A Joaquim Dias
%A Ricardo Alves
%J Entomology and Applied Science Letters
%@ 2349-2864
%D 2026
%V 13
%N 1
%R 10.51847/ZmqvSHeikK
%P 36-47
%X Botanical insecticides are increasingly considered components of more sustainable pest-management systems because they offer chemically diverse active constituents, renewable feedstock possibilities and alternatives to repeated dependence on a limited range of conventional insecticides. Their ability to produce mortality, repellency, developmental disruption or crop protection under controlled conditions, however, does not establish reliable control at operational scale. This evidence-synthesis review examines the conditions under which botanical insecticides may progress from promising biological activity to sustainable use. The analytical approach separates laboratory efficacy, semi-field performance, field effectiveness, environmental persistence, chemical variability, product consistency, mode-of-action evidence, resistance relevance, ecotoxicological effects, non-target compatibility and scalability. Across these domains, the strongest defensible synthesis is that botanical insecticides can contribute meaningful pest suppression in selected systems, particularly when plant material is chemically characterized and delivery systems are designed for the intended exposure environment. Nevertheless, efficacy rankings are sensitive to assay media, botanical source, extraction procedures, carrier properties, release behaviour, target species and application context. Encapsulation and emulsification can improve dispersion or prolong biological activity, but chemical consistency is not equivalent to environmental persistence, and persistence enhancement may change non-target exposure or selection pressure. Evidence concerning resistance durability and ecosystem-level safety remains especially incomplete. Sustainable translation therefore requires specification-led development that connects plant-source control, batch chemistry, formulation identity, realistic efficacy testing, resistance stewardship and exposure-relevant safety assessment. Botanical origin should be treated as a source of candidate chemistry rather than as evidence of effectiveness, ecological safety or readiness for large-scale implementation.
%U https://easletters.com/article/do-botanical-insecticides-deliver-sustainable-control-at-scale-an-evidence-synthesis-of-efficacy-v-w9m7lowluarwlcd