Evolving strategies in agroecosystem pest control: transitioning from chemical to green management

The United Nations (UN) has made strong commitments toward achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs), aiming to alleviate food scarcity, reduce hunger, and advance toward a carbon–neutral world. Ensuring food security and sustaining agricultural productivity to meet rapid population growth requires cultivating healthy, nutritious crops. However, the indiscriminate and excessive use of synthetic chemical pesticides has not only targeted pests but also disrupted the environment, compromising food quality, polluting ecosystems, and endangering beneficial insects within agroecosystems. To address these challenges, environmentally friendly pest management strategies have been integrated into the integrated pest management (IPM) framework, aiming to reduce farming communities’ reliance on chemical pesticides. Biological control methods, including predators, parasitoids, and microbial biopesticides (entomopathogens), play essential roles in these greener approaches. Botanical pesticides derived from plants, such as neem, pongamia, and citrus oils, are gaining attention as environmentally safe, non-toxic alternatives. Recent innovations also include genome-editing techniques, such as CRISPR-Cas9 and RNA interference (RNAi), which enhance crop and pest resilience, offering high specificity and ease of application. Additionally, nano-pesticide formulations allow controlled chemical release, optimizing pesticide usage through precise dosages administered at targeted intervals. In response to climate change, several climate-resilient pest management technologies have emerged, including remote sensing, information and communication technology (ICT)-based methods, and precision farming practices. These methods leverage sensors, mobile applications, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for efficient pest monitoring and pesticide application. Collectively, these advancements emphasize reduced reliance on synthetic chemicals, promoting greener, residue-free pest control and supporting the cultivation of healthy, sustainable crops. This review comprehensively discusses these trends, focusing on sustainable, eco-friendly pest management approaches.