Conventional Pesticides Research Articles

Constraints and solutions for development and uptake of integrated pest management in the UK

AbstractAgricultural improvements that reduce conventional pesticide use and support environmental aims are a priority. Current approaches develop promising alternative products but meet significant challenges in bringing them to market. This article reports findings of an Association of Applied Biologists event at which delegates from relevant industry sectors discussed the establishment of an effective integrated pest management innovation system linking multiple stakeholders. Interrelated recommendations were agreed upon, focused on structured gap analysis, co‐design processes reflecting the complete innovation system, the approval process, application equipment, enhancing grower confidence, integrating knowledge exchange activities, promulgation of public good information and the need for an overarching national action plan and supporting legislation.

A nanoformulation that enhance the efficiency of camptothecin against lepidopteran pests by controlled release and ‘poison bait’ strategies

Pesticides are critical to securing crop yields, but the extremely low utilization of conventional pesticides puts a serious strain on human development and the environment. Natural product pesticides meet the needs of sustainable development, but challenges like high costs and slow efficacy hinder their widespread use. Camptothecin (CPT) is a natural product with potent bioactivity for various insect pests, but its bioactivity for lepidopteran pests is limited due to the ring-opening in their alkaline midgut. To enhance CPT’s efficacy, a nanopesticide CPT@Zein-FA, which consists of the plant-derived zein and ferulic acid (FA), was designed and verified to be able to improve the bioactivity of CPT against lepidopteran pests including Ostrinia furnacalis, Spodoptera frugiperda and Mythimna separata. The nanopesticide CPT@Zein-FA approximately 100 nm in size, exhibited uniform dispersion, strong adhesion, and stability. CPT@Zein-FA utilizes pH and redox dual response mechanisms to achieve protection in the midgut environment and release in the hemocoel/intracellular environment. With the help of zein bait, CPT@Zein-FA can also promote the feeding of insects and accelerate their death. Metabolomic analysis revealed CPT’s lethal impact on insect metabolism by inhibiting nucleotide synthesis, disrupting body size and development through lipid metabolism and insect hormone synthesis inhibition. This work provides new ideas for the large-scale application of natural product pesticides and contributes to the sustainable development of the world.

Pythium-induced damping-off disease and its management in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.): A review

Abstract. Pythium-induced damping-off is a disease that causes the decay of germinating seeds and young seedlings of tomato, and it is one of the most significant yield constraints for farmers in both nurseries and fields. Conventional fungicides are widely used to manage this disease, leading to two major consequences. Excessive fungicide use not only endangers human health and raises environmental concerns but also promotes the emergence of pesticide-resistant microorganisms in the environment. Consequently, there is growing interest in developing long-term damping-off management strategies that minimize reliance on conventional pesticides. To facilitate decision-making, a better understanding of pathogen biology and disease epidemiology is required. The major findings of this review works are as follows: i) Pythium-induced damping-off is an emerging disease that affects tomatoes in nurseries and fields and causes economic loss; ii) Epidemiological factors identified as most favorable for disease development include high soil moisture (70% or higher), low light, and moderate soil temperatures around 25°C.; and iii) Considerable research efforts in recent years have focused on developing bio-control solutions for damping-off, showing promising future prospects. To ensure higher tomato production, researchers and growers should manage Pythium-induced damping off in their fields. This review serves as a useful guide for the management of this disease.

Layer-by-layer assembled decomposable nanocapsules for light-responsive release of pesticide imidacloprid on Aphis craccivora Koch.

Conventional pesticide formulations are often inefficient because of low biological uptake after spraying. Controlled release nanopesticides can release pesticides precisely in response to specific stimuli, thereby killing pests and pathogens using the least effective concentration. This study aims to develop nanocapsule-based photo-decomposable nanopesticides for efficient pesticide control. The target nanopesticides were successfully fabricated using layer-by-layer assembly of the negative azobenzene-grafted hyaluronic acid (azo-HA) and positivepolydimethyldiallylammonium chloride (polyDADMAC), confirmed by UV-visible, dynamic light scattering, Zeta potential and transmission electron microscopy measurements. The particle size and Zeta potential of the fabricated nanocapsules were 220 nm and +46.1 mV, respectively, and the nanocapsules were found to remain stable for up to 30 days. The optimized drug loading and encapsulation ratio of imidacloprid (IMI) in IMI/azo-HA@polyDADMAC were 21.5% and 91.3%, respectively. Cumulative release of IMI from the nanopesticides increased from ~50% to ~95% upon UV light irradiation (365 nm). The half lethal concentration (LC50) value of the nanopesticides toward Aphis craccivora Koch decreased from 2.22 to 0.55 mg L-1 upon UV light irradiation. The trans to cis transformation of the azo group in HA decomposed IMI/azo-HA@polyDADMAC nanopesticides upon UV irradiation, thus facilitating the release of IMI, resulting in a decrease in the concentration of pesticides required for efficient pesticide control. Our work demonstrated the great potential of light-responsive nanocapsules as a controlled release nanocarrier for efficient and eco-friendly pesticide control in sustainable agriculture. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Papiliotrema flavescens, a plant growth-promoting fungus, alters root system architecture and induces systemic resistance through its volatile organic compounds in Arabidopsis

The current trend in agricultural development is the establishment of sustainable agricultural systems. This involves utilizing and implementing eco-friendly biofertilizers and biocontrol agents as alternatives to conventional fertilizers and pesticides. A plant growth-promoting fungal strain, that could alter root system architecture and promote the growth of Arabidopsis seedlings in a non-contact manner by releasing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) was isolated in this study. 26S rDNA sequencing revealed that the strain was a yeast-like fungus, Papiliotrema flavescens. Analysis of plant growth-promoting traits revealed that the fungus could produce indole-3-acetic acid and ammonia and fix nitrogen. Transcriptome analysis in combination with inhibitor experiments revealed that P. flavescens VOCs triggered metabolic alterations, promoted auxin accumulation and distribution in the roots, and coordinated ethylene signaling, thus inhibiting primary root elongation and inducing lateral root formation in Arabidopsis. Additionally, transcriptome analysis and fungal infection experiments confirmed that pretreatment with P. flavescens stimulated the defense response of Arabidopsis to boost its resistance to the pathogenic fungus Botrytis cinerea. Solid-phase microextraction, which was followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis, identified three VOCs (acetoin, naphthalene and indole) with significant plant growth-promoting attributes. Their roles were confirmed using further pharmacological experiments and upregulated expression of auxin- and ethylene-related genes. Our study serves as an essential reference for utilizing P. flavescens as a potential biological fertilizer and biocontrol agent.

Efficacy of conventional and organic pesticides following ingestion by Delia radicum (Diptera: Anthomyiidae).

Cabbage maggot (CM) (Delia radicum L.) is a devastating pest of Brassicaceae crops throughout the world, including the Willamette Valley in western Oregon, USA. Chemical control methods for this pest are limited, with reduction or elimination of chlorpyrifos tolerances and expensive alternative chemistries; therefore, there is an increasing need for novel chemical control options. Adult feeding, a strategy used with insecticide-treated baits for other fly species, has yet to be tested as an option for a chemical control delivery for cabbage maggot. Treated bait can exploit the feeding behavior of CM and expose them to insecticides in a field setting. In this study, the efficacy of 5 organic and 5 conventional insecticides was compared in laboratory bioassays of treated bait stations in Aurora, Oregon, USA. The mortality of adult female cabbage maggot flies was assessed over time following ingestion of insecticides. Among organic insecticides tested, spinosad was highly effective 4 h after exposure, while pyrethrins + azadirachtin was moderately effective following 18 h after exposure. Flies exposed to conventional-use pesticides zeta-cypermethrin and bifenthrin had high mortality 1.75 h after exposure, while spinetoram had moderate efficacy 2 h after exposure. Insecticides identified with high or moderate efficacy may have the potential for use in baits or lure formulations that could be used to augment the control of cabbage maggots in field settings.

New biologically active ionic liquids with benzethonium cation-efficient SAR inducers and antimicrobial agents.

An urgent need to find new methods for crop protection remains open due to the withdrawal from the market of the most toxic pesticides and increasing consumer awareness. One of the alternatives that can be used in modern agriculture is the use of bifunctional compounds whose actions towards plant protection are wider than those of conventional pesticides. In this study, we present the investigation of the biological efficacy of nine dual-functional salts containing a systemic acquired resistance (SAR)-inducing anion and the benzethonium cation. A significant result of the presented study is the discovery of the SAR induction activity of benzethonium chloride, which was previously reported only as an antimicrobial agent. Moreover, the concept of dual functionality was proven, as the application of presented compounds in a given concentrations resulted both in the control of human and plant bacteria species and induction of SAR. The strategy presented in this article shows the capabilities of derivatization of common biologically active compounds into their ionic derivatives to obtain bifunctional salts. This approach may be an example of the design of potential new compounds for modern agriculture. It provides plants with two complementary actions allowing to provide efficient protection to plants, if one mode of action is ineffective. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Transcriptomic and biochemical insights into fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) responses on silicon-treated maize.

The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda, is an agricultural pest of significant economic concern globally, known for its adaptability, pesticide resistance, and damage to key crops such as maize. Conventional chemical pesticides pose challenges, including the development of resistance and environmental pollution. The study aims to investigate an alternative solution: the application of soluble silicon (Si) sources to enhance plant resistance against the fall armyworm. Silicon dioxide (SiO2) and potassium silicate (K2SiO3) were applied to maize plants via foliar spray. Transcriptomic and biochemical analyses were performed to study the gene expression changes in the fall armyworm feeding on Si-treated maize. Results indicated a significant impact on gene expression, with a large number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) identified in both SiO2 and K2SiO3 treatments. Furthermore, Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis identified critical DEGs involved in specific pathways, including amino acid, carbohydrate, lipid, energy, xenobiotics metabolisms, signal transduction, and posttranslational modification, significantly altered at both Si sources. Biochemical analyses further revealed that Si treatments inhibited several enzyme activities (glutamate dehydrogenase, trehalase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, chitinase, juvenile hormone esterase, and cyclooxygenase while simultaneously inducing others (total protein, lipopolysaccharide, fatty acid synthase, ATPase, and cytochrome P450), thus suggesting a toxic effect on the fall armyworm. In conclusion, Si applications on maize influence the gene expression and biochemical activities of the fall armyworm, potentially offering a sustainable pest management strategy.

Putative Role of Anti-microbial Peptide Recovered from Lactiplantibacillus spp. in Biocontrol Activity.

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) stand as a promising alternative to conventional pesticides, leveraging a multifaceted approach to combat plant pathogens. This study focuses on identifying and characterizing the AMP produced by Lactiplantibacillus argentoratensis strain IT, demonstrating potent antibacterial activity against various harmful microorganisms. Evaluation of AMPs' antibacterial activity was conducted through an agar well diffusion assay, a reliable method for assessing secondary metabolite antimicrobial efficacy. The study unveils the antimicrobial potential of the purified extract obtained from Lactiplantibacillus argentoratensis IT, isolated from goat milk. Notably, the AMP exhibited robust antibacterial activity against phytopathogens affecting solanaceous crops, including the Gram-negative Ralstonia solanacearum. Expression conditions and purification methods were optimized to identify the peptide's mass and sequence, utilizing LC-MS and SDS-PAGE. This paper underscores the application potential of Lactiplantibacillus spp. IT as a biocontrol agent for managing bacterial infectious diseases in plants. Results indicate optimal AMP production at 37°C, with a culture broth pH of 5 during fermentation. The obtained peptide sequence corresponded to peaks at 842.5 and 2866.4m/z ratio, with a molecular weight of approximately 5kDa according to tricine SDS-PAGE analysis. In conclusion, this study lays the foundation for utilizing Lactiplantibacillus spp. IT derived AMPs in plant biocontrol strategies, showcasing their efficacy against bacterial phytopathogens. These findings contribute valuable insights for advancing sustainable agricultural practices.

Application of Propolis Extracts in Prevention of the Occurrence and Development of Phytophthora infestans in Ecological Agricultural Production of Tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum)

Organic Agricultural Production is a special system of food production that exists in a rule-based, socially demanding, and environmentally constrained space within wider agriculture. It must meet social standards in key areas, such as sustainable use of natural resources, while minimally impacting local ecosystems throughout the growth cycle. The use of phytopharmaceutical substitutes is a core component, replacing conventional agriculture pesticides which have been shown to damage local ecosystems. In recent years, considerable research effort has been put into discovering alternative natural substitutes with pesticidal and antifungal properties.
 The aim of this paper is to investigate the effects of propolis extracts on the growth and development of Phytopathological fungi, presenting an alternative to other phytopharmaceutical substitutes.
 In this paper, the “American” tomato species are used throughout as it represents a common supermarket tomato variety. The following are the conclusions central to this paper: (1) preventative usage of alcoholic extracts controlls the likelihood of development of Phytophthora infestans and its subsequent growth while having a reduced environmental impact (2) a comparison of propolis extracts with other staple organic extracts found improvements in profitability, produce growth speed and energy requirement (3) produce yield was increased with the use of a propolis solution compared to other organic extracts, however, a combined alcoholic extract of propolis was found to have further benefits, specifically in the prevention and neutralization of aphids.

Reply to Berry, C. Factors Related to Bacillus thuringiensis and Gut Physiology. Comment on "Rajan, V. An Alkaline Foregut Protects Herbivores from Latex in Forage, but Increases Their Susceptibility to Bt Endotoxin. Life 2023, 13, 2195".

The comment titled "Factors related to Bacillus thuringiensis and gut physiology" disputes some of the inferences in the paper "An Alkaline Foregut Protects Herbivores from Latex in Forage, but Increases Their Susceptibility to Bt Endotoxin" published in this journal. The key points in the dissent are the following: 1. Bt is generally safe to non-target species. 2. Transgenic Bt crops provide additional ecological benefits due to reductions in conventional pesticide use. 3. Susceptibility to Bt does not indicate alkalinity, nor vice versa. My response is summarized as follows: 1. Bt can form non-specific pores at concentrations of 100 ng/mL in culture, and so is potentially unsafe for animals with gut environments in which Bt persists at or above this level. 2. Initial reductions in insecticide applications have not been sustained and are even increasing in areas planted with transgenic Bt cotton. 3. Acidic guts degrade Bt more efficiently, but I concede that gut alkalinity does not imply susceptibility to Bt due to many factors including resistance in target species, toxin heterogeneity and variable modes of action. However, the susceptibility of foregut-fermenting herbivores with alkaline guts to Bt intoxication cannot be invalidated without further study.

Fungal Endophytes: Discovering What Lies within Some of Canada's Oldest and Most Resilient Grapevines.

Plant diseases and pests reduce crop yields, accounting for global crop losses of 30% to 50%. In conventional agricultural production systems, these losses are typically controlled by applying chemical pesticides. However, public pressure is mounting to curtail agrochemical use. In this context, employing beneficial endophytic microorganisms is an increasingly attractive alternative to the use of conventional chemical pesticides in agriculture. A multitude of fungal endophytes are naturally present in plants, producing enzymes, small peptides, and secondary metabolites due to their bioactivity, which can protect hosts from pathogens, pests, and abiotic stresses. The use of beneficial endophytic microorganisms in agriculture is an increasingly attractive alternative to conventional pesticides. The aim of this study was to characterize fungal endophytes isolated from apparently healthy, feral wine grapes in eastern Canada that have grown without agrochemical inputs for decades. Host plants ranged from unknown seedlings to long-lost cultivars not widely propagated since the 1800s. HPLC-MS was used to identify unique endophyte-derived chemical compounds in the host plants, while dual-culture competition assays showed a range in endophytes' ability to suppress the mycelial growth of Botrytis, which is typically controlled in viticulture with pesticides. Twelve of the most promising fungal endophytes isolated were identified using multilocus sequencing and morphology, while DNA barcoding was employed to identify some of their host vines. These fungal endophyte isolates, which consisted of both known and putative novel strains, belonged to seven genera in six families and five orders of Ascomycota. Exploring the fungal endophytes in these specimens may yield clues to the vines' survival and lead to the discovery of novel biocontrol agents.

Self-Assembly of a Dipeptide with a Reduced Amount of Copper into Antifungal and Antibacterial Particles.

With the growing concern over the environmental impact and health risks associated with conventional pesticides, there is a great need for developing safer and more sustainable alternatives. This study demonstrates the self-assembly of antimicrobial and antifungal spherical particles by a dipeptide utilizing a reduced amount of copper salt compared to the commonly employed formulation. The particles can be sprayed on a surface and form an antimicrobial coating. The effectiveness of the coating against the bacteria Pectobacterium brasiliense, a common pathogen affecting potato crops, was demonstrated, as the coating reduced the bacterial load by 7.3 log. Moreover, a comprehensive field trial was conducted, where the formulation was applied to potato seeds. Remarkably, it exhibited good efficacy against three prevalent potato pathogens (P. brasiliense, Pythium spp., and Spongospora subterranea) while demonstrating no phytotoxic effects on the potatoes. These findings highlight the tremendous potential of this formulation as a nonphytotoxic alternative to replace hazardous pesticides currently available in the market.

Nematocidal Potential of Phenolic Acids: A Phytochemical Seed-Coating Approach to Soybean Cyst Nematode Management.

Soybeans, one of the most valuable crops worldwide, are annually decimated by the soybean cyst nematode (SCN), Heterodera glycines, resulting in massive losses in soybean yields and economic revenue. Conventional agricultural pesticides are generally effective in the short term; however, they pose growing threats to human and environmental health; therefore, alternative SCN management strategies are urgently needed. Preliminary findings show that phenolic acids are significantly induced during SCN infection and exhibit effective nematocidal activities in vitro. However, it is unclear whether these effects occur in planta or elicit any negative effects on plant growth traits. Here, we employed a phytochemical-based seed coating application on soybean seeds using phenolic acid derivatives (4HBD; 2,3DHBA) at variable concentrations and examined SCN inhibition against two SCN types. Moreover, we also examined plant growth traits under non-infected or SCN infected conditions. Notably, 2,3DHBA significantly inhibited SCN abundance in Race 2-infected plants with increasingly higher chemical doses. Interestingly, neither compound negatively affected soybean growth traits in control or SCN-infected plants. Our findings suggest that a phytochemical-based approach could offer an effective, more environmentally friendly solution to facilitate current SCN management strategies and fast-track the development of biopesticides to sustainably manage devastating pests such as SCN.

INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES USING ENDOPHYTIC ENTOMOPATHOGENIC FUNGI

Insect pests harm crops severely and disperse a wide range of diseases that are transmitted by insects. Chemical pesticides are frequently used to manage them. Due to their constant usage over many years, insect pests have become increasingly resistant to practically all kinds of chemical pesticides, which has increased the demand for alternatives. For effective and environmentally safe insect pest control, insect pathogenic fungi are seen to be a viable alternative to practically all kinds of conventional pesticides. However, the viability of this strategy is being constrained by the sluggish death rate and necessity of large conidial concentrations. The ability of these fungi to regulate insects has previously been examined, but more recent research has focused on their potential to operate as plant endophytes to protect plants from phytopathogens and enhance other elements of agricultural output. The significance of these entomopathogenic fungi as endophytes in the context of biological control is discussed in this article. Finding local strains of entomopathogenic fungi that can colonise endophytes and their possible utility in the management of disease-causing pests are the main goals of our research for this review.

Policy options for promoting wider use of biopesticides in Thai agriculture

Biopesticides are rapidly growing in importance for crop protection globally, but nearly all growth is happening in high income countries. No previous work systematically analyzed how lower-income countries can better benefit from the increased availability of biopesticides, which is important because these countries are particularly affected by the adverse effects of chemical pesticide use. Here we review the legislation of biopesticides in Thailand and combine this with stakeholder interviews and interview data from 300 smallholder farmers producing rice, fruit, vegetables, and flowers. We find that Thailand has adopted a biopesticide registration system that facilitates a fast-track registration, but it is still relatively costly considering the small market size. While 65 % of the sampled farmers used biopesticides, most farmers still heavily relied on conventional pesticides as their main method to control pests. Education, farming experience, positive attitudes of biopesticides, adoption of other integrated pest management methods and contacts with government extension agents were positively associated with biopesticide use. Coordinated action is needed to stimulate the supply of a wider range of biopesticide products while promoting adoption among farmers.

Applying Ecology to Realize Organic Farming

Our conventional chemical fertilizers and pesticides are effective to improve our agricultural productivity, making our crops get more nutrients and less pests; however, the usage of our chemical fertilizers will lower quality of the soils, pesticides will also eliminate beneficial organisms which can fertilize soil and control pests. Pesticides except pyrethrin are hard to decay or be cleaned from the crops, they can be ingested by our human the most through our food chain and are harmful to human, pyrethrin is still harmful to fish. Organic farming doesn’t have these problems, but its productivity is still low, so we need organic methods to fertilize our crops and control harmful organisms that undermine our crops. Elements on the earth are used in cycle, so the only way to fertilize our crops is to make the elements move along the cycle, we can use methods that are same or similar to natural processes to provide fertilizers for our crops, such as producing ammonia by chemical synthesizing without adding other anions or cultivating clovers and processing them into organic nitrogen fertilizers, and import more sea foods into the inland and processing the inedible parts of them into organic fertilizers that can provide phosphorus, potassium and many other microelements that are scarce on the land. There are also many materials from some plants that can kill insects, they have small toxicity that is tolerable to human and can decompose after being used, such as matrine and nicotine. And it is also better to use natural enemies of the pest to control their population in low level, this is best to the crops since a low population of insects can stimulate the immunity of the crops by their bites, they possibly can also eat harmful microorganisms, practice shows the crops are less likely to be infected by diseases under such condition. It is perfect to use cat to eliminate mouse. By these organic methods to fertilize our crops and control harmful organisms, our organic farming possibly can have better productivity that is comparable to our conventional farming.

Green synthesis of (R)-3-hydroxy-decanoic acid and analogs from levoglucosenone: a novel access to the fatty acid moiety of rhamnolipids.

Rhamnolipids (RLs) are highly valuable molecules in the cosmetic, pharmaceutic, and agricultural sectors with outstanding biosurfactant properties. In agriculture, due to their potential to artificially stimulate the natural immune system of crops (also known as elicitation), they could represent a critical substitute to conventional pesticides. However, their current synthesis methods are complex and not aligned with green chemistry principles, posing a challenge for their industrial applications. In addition, their bioproduction is cumbersome with reproducibility issues and expensive downstream processing. This work offers a more straightforward and green access to RLs, crucial to decipher their mechanisms of action and design novel potent and eco-friendly elicitors. To achieve this, we propose an efficient seven-step synthetic pathway toward (R)-3-hydroxyfatty acid chains present in RLs, starting from cellulose-derived levoglucosenone, with Michael addition, Baeyer-Villiger oxidation, Bernet-Vasella reaction, and cross-metathesis homologation as key steps. This method allowed the production of (R)-3-hydroxyfatty acid chains and derivatives with an overall yield ranging from 24% to 36%.

Smart controlled-release nanopesticides based on metal-organic frameworks.

The practical utilization rates of conventional pesticide formulations by target organisms are very low, which results in the pollution of ecological environments and the formation of pesticide residues in agricultural products. Water-based nanopesticide formulations could become alternative and effective formulations to eventually resolve the main issues of conventional pesticide formulations. In this feature article, we describe the design concept of smart (stimuli-responsive) controlled-release nanopesticides, which are created toward hierarchical targets (pests, pathogens, and foliage) in response to multidimensional stimuli from physiological and environmental factors (such as sunlight) of target organisms and plants, for achieving enhanced insecticidal and fungicidal efficacies. The pore sizes and functionalities of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) can be fine-tuned through the choice of metal-containing units and organic ligands. Tailor-made MOF nanoparticles with large microporous or mesoporous sizes, as well as good biocompatibility and high thermal, mechanical, and chemical durabilities, are used to load pesticides within these pores followed by coating of plant polyphenols and natural polymers for stimuli-responsive controlled pesticide release. This feature article highlights our works on smart controlled-release MOF-based nanopesticides and also includes related works from other laboratories. The future challenges and promising prospects of smart controlled-release MOF-based nanopesticides are also discussed.

Nano-Agrochemicals as Substitutes for Pesticides: Prospects and Risks.

This review delves into the mesmerizing technology of nano-agrochemicals, specifically pesticides and herbicides, and their potential to aid in the achievement of UN SDG 17, which aims to reduce hunger and poverty globally. The global market for conventional pesticides and herbicides is expected to reach USD 82.9 billion by 2027, growing 2.7% annually, with North America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region being the biggest markets. However, the extensive use of chemical pesticides has proven adverse effects on human health as well as the ecosystem. Therefore, the efficacy, mechanisms, and environmental impacts of conventional pesticides require sustainable alternatives for effective pest management. Undoubtedly, nano-agrochemicals have the potential to completely transform agriculture by increasing crop yields with reduced environmental contamination. The present review discusses the effectiveness and environmental impact of nanopesticides as promising strategies for sustainable agriculture. It provides a concise overview of green nano-agrochemical synthesis and agricultural applications, and the efficacy of nano-agrochemicals against pests including insects and weeds. Nano-agrochemical pesticides are investigated due to their unique size and exceptional performance advantages over conventional ones. Here, we have focused on the environmental risks and current state of nano-agrochemicals, emphasizing the need for further investigations. The review also draws the attention of agriculturists and stakeholders to the current trends of nanomaterial use in agriculture especially for reducing plant diseases and pests. A discussion of the pros and cons of nano-agrochemicals is paramount for their application in sustainable agriculture.