Cassia species: a potential source of biopesticides

Abstract

Climate change is of significant concern for crop production as it affects crop pests and disease susceptibility, thus affecting crop health and causing a substantial decline in productivity. As the world warms, outbreaks of plant-eating insect pests are expected to intensify largely because warmer temperatures favor the pest’s biology, while boosting growth of the plants they eat. Globally, there is a high interest of finding novel botanical insecticides due to the drawbacks associated with the use of synthetic/chemical insecticides which include emergence of resistant pests, environmental pollution and various health problems such as cancer, skin itching, birth defects, infertility among others. Botanical pesticides are less toxic to the environment and public health since they are biodegradable and more specific to target pests. The current review focuses on the potential larvicidal, adulticidal, ovicidal, antifeedant and repellant activities of Cassia species against insects’ pests and plant diseases. Therefore, plant products from Cassia species may be utilized as promising biopesticides with commercial value as an alternative to synthetic pesticides.