Use of paraffin oils in agriculture and beyond: back to the future

Abstract

Paraffin (petroleum) oils have been used for many years for their insecticidal properties, but relatively little research had been conducted towards their introduction into the agricultural praxis, due to their potential phytotoxic effects. In the recent years, however, there has been an increased interest in petroleum-based pesticides due to their compatibility with integrated pest management (IPM) programs. Various improvements in the refinement methods have enhanced the manufacture of commercial products with many advantageous features over the original oil formulas. However, literature is still lacking of a general overview about the applicability of newly introduced commercial petroleum oils in agriculture and their compatibility with modern pest management practices. Therefore, the present work aims to depict the current status of petroleum oils in arboriculture and beyond, providing an in-depth analysis of their insecticidal properties with respect to the knowledge gained over the years about the factors responsible for the pesticidal efficacy and the phytotoxic activity of petroleum-derived oil insecticides. Moreover, commercial aspects of petroleum oil formulations and their toxicological profile to non-target organisms have also been addressed through the current legislation in EU and the USA.

Foliar Calcium Absorption by Tomato Plants: Comparing the Effects of Calcium Sources and Adjuvant Usage

“…Furthermore, other factors resulting from the interaction between foliar fertilizer and leaf surface can influence absorption, such as wettability, adhesion, and surface tension [ 35 ]. Although we did not measure the superficial tension of the foliar fertilizers, it can be deduced that the adjuvant used changed the chemical properties of the foliar formulations [ 21 , 22 , 23 ], causing a reduction in surface tension and increasing adhesion on the leaf surface, thus changing the absorption kinetic profile.…”

“…We also investigated the effect of agriculture mineral oil adjuvant on the absorption process and the effect on the treatments on the leaf surface. Moreover, mineral oil plays the role of an adjuvant for fertilizer, fungicides, and herbicides [ 19 , 20 ]; adjuvant has been used as a pesticide in fruits and vegetables [ 21 , 22 , 23 ].…”

Effectiveness of Agave genotype extracts applied alone or mixed with mineral oil against the cactus scale mealybug Diaspis echinocacti (Hemiptera: Diaspididae)

“…This may be due to the different action modes of these products (Martín-López et al 2006) and the greatest susceptibility of mobile nymphs compared with the sessile ones due to the chemical composition of the tegument of the former (Quesada et al 2018). Botanical insecticides and/or mineral oils have ovicidal action and affect insect behavior, physiology, morphology, and metabolism, inhibiting their growth and oviposition (Acheuk et al 2022, Baliota andAthanassiou 2023). In addition, many of them exhibit neurotoxic mechanisms through interference with the neuromodulator octopamine or GABA-gated chloride channels (Taverner et al 2001, Isman 2006.…”