Chloronicotinyl insecticide imidacloprid : agricultural relevance, pitfalls and emerging opportunities

Abstract

Imidacloprid quickly gained popularity as the first commercial neonicotinoid following the invention of neonicotinoids by Bayer in 1985. Its relationship with agriculture is linked to protection of field crops against a range of insect pests. Beyond this, imidacloprid applications – foliar spraying, soil and seed treatment – have become intertwined with the negative impacts on ecosystem services, including killing of non-target organisms with great economic value such as pollinators, honey providers and beneficial insects which assist farmers with natural pest control. Because early plant growth (e.g. tissue, organ and seedling phase) forms an important part of a plant's life history, the current review draws attention to applying imidacloprid in priming or selection of physiologically important traits. And it reasons that neonicotinoid(imidacloprid)-driven priming/selection is enriched with the potential to integrate robust responses in, and for, plants to better deal with future hostile encounters from early life. Further discussed are some of the metabolites and synthetic compounds that are analogous to imidacloprid. Such compounds appear to greatly influence plant biochemical processes, and thus reflect the potential for imidacloprid to select traits important to safeguard plants against environmental stresses.