Toxicological effects of essential oils on aphids and natural enemies

Chemical insecticides play an important role in global food production, ensuring reliable pest control and high crop yields. However, their intensive use also brings significant challenges—environmental contamination, risks to human health, and the rise of resistant pest populations. Addressing these issues is critical to maintaining both agricultural productivity and sustainability.

This project seeks to discover and develop natural, safer alternatives based on botanically extracted essential oils from native Brazilian flora, which offer targeted pest control with low environmental persistence and minimal impact on beneficial organisms. Through a collaborative partnership between Brazilian and Canadian institutions, the research will identify and evaluate plant-derived compounds with insecticidal activity against a major vegetable pests. The outcomes will hopefully lay the foundation for innovative, biodegradable bioproducts that strengthen food security, open new commercial opportunities, and reduce agriculture’s environmental footprint.

Faculty Supervisor:

Chris Cutler

Student:

Partner:

Federal University of Viçosa

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Agriculture and Food; Life Sciences (not health); Sustainability and the Environment

University:

Dalhousie University

Program: