Encapsulation of Active Ingredients in Pest Insect Control: A Literature Review

Abstract Global agriculture aims to ensure food security and raw materials for a growing global population. Global warming, driven by anthropogenic activities, may worsen the situation by causing environmental imbalances that directly impact the population dynamics of pest insects, which are responsible for significant agricultural losses. As a result, tools that assist in the management of agricultural pests have become necessary. The application of synthetic, natural, microbiological, and RNAi-based insecticides has been widely studied, with the first three already commercially available. However, these technologies are not without limitations, as they can degrade in the environment or within the insect, and in some cases, may be toxic to the applicator, the ecosystem, and beneficial insects. Encapsulation can overcome these limitations by entrapping the active ingredient (AI), protecting it from degrading agents, preventing direct contact with the applicator, and enabling controlled release. In this way, it can complement existing tools used in integrated pest management, thereby contributing to the maintenance and increase of agricultural production.