New insecticides of plant origin for the third millennium?

This chapter deals with some methodological aspects of identifying new, efficacious compounds for pest management such as ethnobotanical surveys and toxicity modelling, using Mediterranean aromatic plants such as Thymus vulgaris, Thymus serpyllum and Rosmarimus officinalis as examples. The qualities of an ‘ideal’ insecticide are considered i.e. selectivity, specificity, biodegradability, resistance and bioavailability, and the qualities of biopesticides from plants assessed against these criteria. The author concludes that a strategy based on plant allelochemicals could contribute significantly to existing IPM procedures.