Acalypha wilkesiana: prospects as an agricultural biocide

Abstract

The dynamism of global trade and a changing climate has aided the threats posed by plant pests and diseases on food security. Combating the long-standing challenges posed by pests and diseases has been a frontline issue among the various stakeholders in the agricultural food value chain. Investment in newer synthetic pesticides with increased selectivity towards target pests and decreased toxicity to mammals, the introduction of genetically-modified crops, and development of automated technology for early detection and monitoring of pest population are some 21st-century research advancements to curb the menace. In Africa, agriculture lies majorly in the hands of smallholding farmers, and most of them live below the poverty line and cannot afford these expensive modern technologies. Documented reports over decades have also revealed that the average farmer in Africa relies solely on the use of synthetic pesticides to combat pests and disease problems. Their complacency and indiscriminate application of synthetic pesticides have resulted in deleterious impacts on non-targeted organisms, human health, and the environment. The clarion call has been towards the search for panaceas which eschew the use of synthetic pesticides and promote food safety and security. Plants have been documented with an extensive reservoir of under-tapped and un-tapped bioactive compounds for chemical and biological studies. These plants have been proven efficacious in the management of crop pests and diseases, are readily biodegradable, and with low toxicity on non-target organisms. Acalypha wilkesiana is one of these plants whose information on its application as an agricultural biocide is limited. Therefore this review explores available information on the broad spectrum potentials embedded in the plant, intending to promote its application as an agricultural biocide.