Beyond Bioefficacy: A Bibliometric Analysis of the Economics, Adoption, and Commercialization of Botanical Pesticides

Authors

  • Qalbin Salim Fazli Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, IPB University, Bogor 16680, Indonesia
  • Fazli Syam BZ Department of Accounting, Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Banda Aceh 23111, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.60084/eje.v4i2.472

Keywords:

Evidence mapping, Regulatory readiness, Science mapping, Sustainable pest management

Abstract

Botanical pesticides are increasingly investigated as plant-derived options for reducing dependence on synthetic pesticides, yet their progression from technical efficacy to sustained agricultural implementation remains insufficiently understood. This study integrates bibliometric performance analysis, science mapping, and systematic evidence mapping to examine the development and translational orientation of the field. Records were retrieved from Scopus in October 2026 using botanical pest-control terms combined with economic, adoption, market, and institutional concepts. Following predefined screening procedures, 38 articles were retained and analyzed using Biblioshiny and VOSviewer. Evidence was mapped across economic viability, farmer adoption and use, commercialization and scaling, and regulation and institutional support. The literature developed from a predominantly technical foundation toward increasing attention to economics, integrated pest management, and sustainable agriculture. However, this conceptual broadening was not accompanied by comparable integration of translational evidence. Substantive economic evidence was identified in 27 articles and adoption evidence in 15, whereas commercialization and regulatory or institutional evidence were each substantively addressed in only eight articles. Only five publications integrated all four domains. Evidence was concentrated in technical development, field validation, and economic evaluation but became substantially more limited at stages requiring sustained farmer use, product standardization, regulatory readiness, and viable market systems. The principal gap is therefore not a lack of technically promising botanical pesticides, but limited continuity between technical performance and the conditions required for wider implementation. Addressing this gap requires comparable economic assessment, longitudinal adoption research, proportionate regulation, quality assurance, and evidence on value-chain and enterprise performance.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

  1. Zhou, W., Li, M., and Achal, V. (2025). A Comprehensive Review on Environmental and Human Health Impacts of Chemical Pesticide Usage, Emerging Contaminants, Vol. 11, No. 1, 100410. doi:10.1016/j.emcon.2024.100410.
  2. Idroes, G. M., Wiranatakusuma, D. B., Hilal, I. S., Fazli, Q. S., Hardi, I., Syahnur, S., Majid, M. S. A., Noviandy, T. R., and Idroes, R. (2026). Quantifying the Environmental Consequences of Agrochemical Use: A Dynamic Econometric and Wavelet Coherence Approach, Sustainability Analytics and Modeling, Vol. 6, 100058. doi:10.1016/j.samod.2026.100058.
  3. Deguine, J.-P., Aubertot, J.-N., Flor, R. J., Lescourret, F., Wyckhuys, K. A. G., and Ratnadass, A. (2021). Integrated Pest Management: Good Intentions, Hard Realities. A Review, Agronomy for Sustainable Development, Vol. 41, No. 3, 38. doi:10.1007/s13593-021-00689-w.
  4. Parsa, S., Morse, S., Bonifacio, A., Chancellor, T. C. B., Condori, B., Crespo-Pérez, V., Hobbs, S. L. A., Kroschel, J., Ba, M. N., Rebaudo, F., Sherwood, S. G., Vanek, S. J., Faye, E., Herrera, M. A., and Dangles, O. (2014). Obstacles to Integrated Pest Management Adoption in Developing Countries, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Vol. 111, No. 10, 3889–3894. doi:10.1073/pnas.1312693111.
  5. Alwang, J., Norton, G., and Larochelle, C. (2019). Obstacles to Widespread Diffusion of IPM in Developing Countries: Lessons from the Field, Journal of Integrated Pest Management, Vol. 10, No. 1. doi:10.1093/jipm/pmz008.
  6. Isman, M. B. (2020). Botanical Insecticides in the Twenty-First Century—Fulfilling Their Promise?, Annual Review of Entomology, Vol. 65, No. 1, 233–249. doi:10.1146/annurev-ento-011019-025010.
  7. Ngegba, P. M., Cui, G., Khalid, M. Z., and Zhong, G. (2022). Use of Botanical Pesticides in Agriculture as an Alternative to Synthetic Pesticides, Agriculture, Vol. 12, No. 5, 600. doi:10.3390/agriculture12050600.
  8. Grzywacz, D., Stevenson, P. C., Mushobozi, W. L., Belmain, S., and Wilson, K. (2014). The Use of Indigenous Ecological Resources for Pest Control in Africa, Food Security, Vol. 6, No. 1, 71–86. doi:10.1007/s12571-013-0313-5.
  9. Stevenson, P. C., Isman, M. B., and Belmain, S. R. (2017). Pesticidal Plants in Africa: A Global Vision of New Biological Control Products from Local Uses, Industrial Crops and Products, Vol. 110, 2–9. doi:10.1016/j.indcrop.2017.08.034.
  10. Mikiciuk, G., Miller, T., Kisiel, A., Cembrowska-Lech, D., Mikiciuk, M., Łobodzińska, A., and Bokszczanin, K. (2024). Harnessing Beneficial Microbes for Drought Tolerance: A Review of Ecological and Agricultural Innovations, Agriculture, Vol. 14, No. 12, 2228. doi:10.3390/agriculture14122228.
  11. Idroes, G. M., Fazli, Q. S., Hilal, I. S., Hardi, I., Noviandy, T. R., and Wiranatakusuma, D. B. (2026). Investigating Long-Term Impact of Agricultural Factors and Renewable Energy on Environmental Quality: Evidence from Indonesia Using ARDL and DOLS, Sustainability Analytics and Modeling, Vol. 6, 100075. doi:10.1016/j.samod.2026.100075.
  12. Singh, R., Kaur, S., Bhullar, S. S., Singh, H., and Sharma, L. K. (2024). Bacterial Biostimulants for Climate Smart Agriculture Practices: Mode of Action, Effect on Plant Growth and Roadmap for Commercial Products, Journal of Sustainable Agriculture and Environment, Vol. 3, No. 1. doi:10.1002/sae2.12085.
  13. Isman, M. B. (2017). Bridging the Gap: Moving Botanical Insecticides from the Laboratory to the Farm, Industrial Crops and Products, Vol. 110, 10–14. doi:10.1016/j.indcrop.2017.07.012.
  14. Martey, E., Etwire, P. M., and Kuwornu, J. K. M. (2020). Economic Impacts of Smallholder Farmers’ Adoption of Drought-Tolerant Maize Varieties, Land Use Policy, Vol. 94, 104524. doi:10.1016/j.landusepol.2020.104524.
  15. Amoabeng, B. W., Gurr, G. M., Gitau, C. W., and Stevenson, P. C. (2014). Cost:Benefit Analysis of Botanical Insecticide Use in Cabbage: Implications for Smallholder Farmers in Developing Countries, Crop Protection, Vol. 57, 71–76. doi:10.1016/j.cropro.2013.11.019.
  16. Constantine, K. L., Kansiime, M. K., Mugambi, I., Nunda, W., Chacha, D., Rware, H., Makale, F., Mulema, J., Lamontagne‐Godwin, J., Williams, F., Edgington, S., and Day, R. (2020). Why Don’t Smallholder Farmers in Kenya Use More Biopesticides?, Pest Management Science, Vol. 76, No. 11, 3615–3625. doi:10.1002/ps.5896.
  17. Pannell, D. J. (2026). Reflections on Adoption of New Agricultural Practices, Journal of Agricultural Economics. doi:10.1111/1477-9552.70064.
  18. Surna, M. I., Fazli, Q. S., Chamzurni, T., Susanna, S., and Idroes, G. M. (2025). Influence of Elevational and Environmental Factors on Parasitic Nematode Distribution in Arabica Coffee in the Gayo Highlands, Indonesia, Leuser Journal of Environmental Studies, Vol. 3, No. 2, 56–66. doi:10.60084/ljes.v3i2.293.
  19. Kamanula, J., Sileshi, G. W., Belmain, S. R., Sola, P., Mvumi, B. M., Nyirenda, G. K. C., Nyirenda, S. P., and Stevenson, P. C. (2010). Farmers’ Insect Pest Management Practices and Pesticidal Plant Use in the Protection of Stored Maize and Beans in Southern Africa, International Journal of Pest Management, Vol. 57, No. 1, 41–49. doi:10.1080/09670874.2010.522264.
  20. Morse, S., and McNamara, N. (2004). Promoting Sustainability: Efficacy and Adoption of Tobacco-Based Insecticides in Nigeria, Journal of Sustainable Agriculture, Vol. 24, No. 4, 17–38. doi:10.1300/J064v24n04_04.
  21. Akdemir Evrendilek, G. (2026). Designing Functional Foods Beyond Bioactivity: Integrating Processing, Safety, and Regulatory Readiness, Applied Sciences, Vol. 16, No. 6, 2999. doi:10.3390/app16062999.
  22. de Souza Cardoso Delfino, C., de Paula Pereira, M. C., dos Santos Oliveira, M., de Carvalho Favareto, I., Valladão, V. S., de Oliveira Mota, M., Costa, M. V. B., Sousa-Batista, A. J., and Balbino, T. A. (2025). Scaling Nanopharmaceutical Production for Personalized Medicine: Challenges and Strategies, Journal of Nanoparticle Research, Vol. 27, No. 4, 108. doi:10.1007/s11051-025-06293-3.
  23. Hardi, I., Dawood, T. C., and Syathi, P. B. (2021). Determinants Comparative Advantage of Non-Oil Export 34 Provinces in Indonesia, International Journal of Business, Economics, and Social Development, Vol. 2, No. 3, 98–106. doi:10.46336/ijbesd.v2i3.137.
  24. Sola, P., Mvumi, B. M., Ogendo, J. O., Mponda, O., Kamanula, J. F., Nyirenda, S. P., Belmain, S. R., and Stevenson, P. C. (2014). Botanical Pesticide Production, Trade and Regulatory Mechanisms in Sub-Saharan Africa: Making a Case for Plant-Based Pesticidal Products, Food Security, Vol. 6, No. 3, 369–384. doi:10.1007/s12571-014-0343-7.
  25. Hernandez-Tenorio, F., Miranda, A. M., Rodríguez, C. A., Giraldo-Estrada, C., and Sáez, A. A. (2022). Potential Strategies in the Biopesticide Formulations: A Bibliometric Analysis, Agronomy, Vol. 12, No. 11, 2665. doi:10.3390/agronomy12112665.
  26. Sofia Siti Sa’adah, N., Sukirno, S., Alwandri, H., Rini Nuringtyas, T., and Hartanto Nugroho, L. (2022). A Bibliometric Analysis of Botanical Insecticides for Lepidopteran Insects over the Period 1985–2022, Plant Science Today. doi:10.14719/pst.1997.
  27. Souto, A. L., Sylvestre, M., Tölke, E. D., Tavares, J. F., Barbosa-Filho, J. M., and Cebrián-Torrejón, G. (2021). Plant-Derived Pesticides as an Alternative to Pest Management and Sustainable Agricultural Production: Prospects, Applications and Challenges, Molecules, Vol. 26, No. 16, 4835. doi:10.3390/molecules26164835.
  28. Acheuk, F., Basiouni, S., Shehata, A. A., Dick, K., Hajri, H., Lasram, S., Yilmaz, M., Emekci, M., Tsiamis, G., Spona-Friedl, M., May-Simera, H., Eisenreich, W., and Ntougias, S. (2022). Status and Prospects of Botanical Biopesticides in Europe and Mediterranean Countries, Biomolecules, Vol. 12, No. 2, 311. doi:10.3390/biom12020311.
  29. Isman, M. B., Miresmailli, S., and Machial, C. (2011). Commercial Opportunities for Pesticides Based on Plant Essential Oils in Agriculture, Industry and Consumer Products, Phytochemistry Reviews, Vol. 10, No. 2, 197–204. doi:10.1007/s11101-010-9170-4.
  30. Narandžić, T., Šarac, V., Rodić, V., Vukelić, N., Lukač-Bulatović, M., Bijelić, S., and Ljubojević, M. (2025). Exploring the Known and Mapping Future Directions in Biopesticides Research: A Bibliometric Analysis, Horticulturae, Vol. 11, No. 1, 97. doi:10.3390/horticulturae11010097.
  31. Fazli, Q. S., Delya, M. I., Kihwili, E. H., Qashmal, M., Hilal, I. S., and Idroes, G. M. (2025). How Is Research Connecting Artificial Intelligence, Sustainability Governance, and Agri-Food Supply Chains Evolving? A Bibliometric Analysis, Indatu Journal of Management and Accounting, Vol. 3, No. 2, 88–100. doi:10.60084/ijma.v3i2.368.
  32. Fazli, Q. S., Lorente, D. B., Hilal, S. I., Maulidar, P., and Idroes, G. M. (2025). Mapping Global Research on Agrochemicals and Sustainability: A Bibliometric Analysis of Environmental and Economic Perspectives, Innovations in Environmental Economics, Vol. 1, No. 2, 109–124. doi:10.48313/iee.v1i2.44.
  33. Fazli, Q. S., Delya, M. I., Almuchty, M. A., Hafizah, I., and Wiranatakusuma, D. B. (2025). Mapping the Evolution of Agricultural Economics: A Bibliometric Analysis of the Nexus between Economic Growth, Environmental Sustainability, and Econometric Modeling, Ekonomikalia Journal of Economics, Vol. 3, No. 2, 106–118. doi:10.60084/eje.v3i2.345.
  34. Fazli, Q. S., Idroes, G. M., Delya, M. I., Kihwili, E. H., Machibya, J. B., and BZ, F. S. (2026). Sustainability Governance in Agribusiness SMEs: A Bibliometric Analysis, Indatu Journal of Management and Accounting, Vol. 4, No. 1, 22–42. doi:10.60084/ijma.v4i1.429.
  35. Fazli, Q. S., Idroes, G. M., Hilal, I. S., Hafizah, I., Hardi, I., and Noviandy, T. R. (2025). Agrochemicals, GHG Emissions, and GDP in Southeast Asia: A Machine Learning Approach with Hierarchical Clustering, Grimsa Journal of Business and Economics Studies, Vol. 2, No. 2, 140–151. doi:10.61975/gjbes.v2i2.93.
  36. Smith, H. H., Idris, O. A., and Maboeta, M. S. (2021). Global Trends of Green Pesticide Research From 1994 to 2019: A Bibliometric Analysis, Journal of Toxicology, Vol. 2021, 1–11. doi:10.1155/2021/6637516.
  37. Fazli, Q. S., Noviandy, T. R., Idroes, G. M., and Idroes, G. M. (2025). Research Landscape on Occupational Hazards and Pesticide Exposure among Agricultural Workers: A Bibliometric Analysis, Narra Review, Vol. 1, No. 3, e13–e13. doi:10.52225/narrarev.v1i3.13.
  38. Donthu, N., Kumar, S., Mukherjee, D., Pandey, N., and Lim, W. M. (2021). How to Conduct a Bibliometric Analysis: An Overview and Guidelines, Journal of Business Research, Vol. 133, 285–296. doi:10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.04.070.
  39. Zupic, I., and Čater, T. (2015). Bibliometric Methods in Management and Organization, Organizational Research Methods, Vol. 18, No. 3, 429–472. doi:10.1177/1094428114562629.
  40. Fazli, Q. S., Hardi, I., Hilal, I. S., and Idroes, G. M. (2026). System-Level Integration of Hydrogen Economy and Circular Economy: A Bibliometric Analysis of Techno-Economic and Infrastructure-Oriented Research, Hydrogen Economy & Engineering, Vol. 1, 100003. doi:10.1016/j.hee.2026.100003.
  41. James, K. L., Randall, N. P., and Haddaway, N. R. (2016). A Methodology for Systematic Mapping in Environmental Sciences, Environmental Evidence, Vol. 5, No. 1, 7. doi:10.1186/s13750-016-0059-6.
  42. Khalil, H., Welch, V., Grainger, M., and Campbell, F. (2025). Methodology for Mapping Reviews, Evidence Maps, and Gap Maps, Research Synthesis Methods, Vol. 16, No. 5, 786–796. doi:10.1017/rsm.2025.25.
  43. Fazli, Q. S., Delya, M. I., Kihwili, E. H., Idroes, G. M., Wiranatakusuma, D. B., and Idroes, G. M. (2026). When Safety Meets the Economy: Mapping Fifty Years of Research on Agricultural Labor, Occupational Health, and Economic Outcomes, Grimsa Journal of Business and Economics Studies, Vol. 3, No. 2, 1–17. doi:10.61975/gjbes.v3i2.111.
  44. Baas, J., Schotten, M., Plume, A., Côté, G., and Karimi, R. (2020). Scopus as a Curated, High-Quality Bibliometric Data Source for Academic Research in Quantitative Science Studies, Quantitative Science Studies, Vol. 1, No. 1, 377–386. doi:10.1162/qss_a_00019.
  45. Fazli, Q. S., Aziz, H., Hamaguchi, Y., Wiranatakusuma, D. B., Yue, S., Hardi, I., and Idroes, G. M. (2026). Green, Blue, and Circular Economy Research in Agri-Food and Aquaculture Value Chains: A Bibliometric Analysis, Carbon Neutral Systems, Vol. 2, No. 1, 10. doi:10.1007/s44438-026-00031-5.
  46. Mongeon, P., and Paul-Hus, A. (2016). The Journal Coverage of Web of Science and Scopus: A Comparative Analysis, Scientometrics, Vol. 106, No. 1, 213–228. doi:10.1007/s11192-015-1765-5.
  47. Singh, V. K., Singh, P., Karmakar, M., Leta, J., and Mayr, P. (2021). The Journal Coverage of Web of Science, Scopus and Dimensions: A Comparative Analysis, Scientometrics, Vol. 126, No. 6, 5113–5142. doi:10.1007/s11192-021-03948-5.
  48. Guerrero-Bote, V. P., Chinchilla-Rodríguez, Z., Mendoza, A., and de Moya-Anegón, F. (2021). Comparative Analysis of the Bibliographic Data Sources Dimensions and Scopus: An Approach at the Country and Institutional Levels, Frontiers in Research Metrics and Analytics, Vol. 5. doi:10.3389/frma.2020.593494.
  49. Aria, M., and Cuccurullo, C. (2017). Bibliometrix : An R-Tool for Comprehensive Science Mapping Analysis, Journal of Informetrics, Vol. 11, No. 4, 959–975. doi:10.1016/j.joi.2017.08.007.
  50. van Eck, N. J., and Waltman, L. (2010). Software Survey: VOSviewer, a Computer Program for Bibliometric Mapping, Scientometrics, Vol. 84, No. 2, 523–538. doi:10.1007/s11192-009-0146-3.
  51. Cobo, M. J., López-Herrera, A. G., Herrera-Viedma, E., and Herrera, F. (2011). An Approach for Detecting, Quantifying, and Visualizing the Evolution of a Research Field: A Practical Application to the Fuzzy Sets Theory Field, Journal of Informetrics, Vol. 5, No. 1, 146–166. doi:10.1016/j.joi.2010.10.002.
  52. Gahukar, R. T. (2000). Bioefficacy of Plant Products Used for Citrus Pest Management in India, Pestology, Vol. 24, No. 2, 27–33.
  53. Suji, D. B., and Kumar, C. P. S. (2019). A Study on Adoption of Botanical Pesticides and Its Relationship with the Characteristics of the Respondents and the Constraints, Plant Archives, Vol. 19, 929–933.
  54. Lex, A., Gehlenborg, N., Strobelt, H., Vuillemot, R., and Pfister, H. (2014). UpSet: Visualization of Intersecting Sets, IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics, Vol. 20, No. 12, 1983–1992. doi:10.1109/TVCG.2014.2346248.
  55. Mkenda, P., Mwanauta, R., Stevenson, P. C., Ndakidemi, P., Mtei, K., and Belmain, S. R. (2015). Extracts from Field Margin Weeds Provide Economically Viable and Environmentally Benign Pest Control Compared to Synthetic Pesticides, PLOS ONE, Vol. 10, No. 11, e0143530. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0143530.
  56. Mkindi, A., Mpumi, N., Tembo, Y., Stevenson, P. C., Ndakidemi, P. A., Mtei, K., Machunda, R., and Belmain, S. R. (2017). Invasive Weeds with Pesticidal Properties As Potential New Crops, Industrial Crops and Products, Vol. 110, 113–122. doi:10.1016/j.indcrop.2017.06.002.
  57. Houngbo, S., Zannou, A., Aoudji, A., Sossou, H. C., Sinzogan, A., Sikirou, R., Zossou, E., Vodounon, H. S. T., Adomou, A., and Ahanchédé, A. (2020). Farmers’ Knowledge and Management Practices of Fall Armyworm, Spodoptera Frugiperda (J.E. Smith) in Benin, West Africa, Agriculture, Vol. 10, No. 10, 430. doi:10.3390/agriculture10100430.
  58. Mkindi, A. G., Coe, R., Stevenson, P. C., Ndakidemi, P. A., and Belmain, S. R. (2021). Qualitative Cost-Benefit Analysis of Using Pesticidal Plants in Smallholder Crop Protection, Agriculture, Vol. 11, No. 10, 1007. doi:10.3390/agriculture11101007.
  59. Kabir, M. H., Biswas, S., Rahman, M. S., Islam, M. S., and Tan, M. L. (2024). Determinants of Vegetable Growers’ Knowledge and Willingness to Adopt Botanical Pesticides, International Journal of Pest Management, Vol. 70, No. 4, 1029–1038. doi:10.1080/09670874.2022.2066733.
  60. Fenibo, E. O., and Matambo, T. (2025). Biopesticides for Sustainable Agriculture: Feasible Options for Adopting Cost-Effective Strategies, Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, Vol. 9. doi:10.3389/fsufs.2025.1657000.
  61. Fazli, Q. S., Azis, H., Delya, M. I., Kihwili, E. H., Idroes, G. M., and Idroes, G. M. (2026). From Control to Coexistence: Reframing Integrated Pest Management under Climate and Environmental Change, Leuser Journal of Environmental Studies, Vol. 4, No. 1, 52–68. doi:10.60084/ljes.v4i1.409.

Downloads

Published

2026-10-29

How to Cite

Fazli, Q. S. and BZ, F. S. (2026) “Beyond Bioefficacy: A Bibliometric Analysis of the Economics, Adoption, and Commercialization of Botanical Pesticides”, Ekonomikalia Journal of Economics, 4(2), pp. 160–185. doi: 10.60084/eje.v4i2.472.

Issue

Vol. 4 No. 2 (2026): October 2026

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Qalbin Salim Fazli, Fazli Syam BZ

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.