Insecticides are widely used in global agricultural ecosystems, but their effects on non-target organisms, particularly crops, are often overlooked. In recent decades, systemic insecticides have become increasingly prevalent in agricultural production, especially as seed treatments. 

 

Plants are typically the primary carriers of insecticides and their degradation products in ecosystems, but the phytotoxicity or stimulatory effects of systemic insecticides on plants have not been well studied. Therefore, further understanding of the effects of systemic insecticides on plant physiology and metabolism is of great importance for guiding agricultural production.

 

A paper titled "Systemic Insecticides in Plants: Phytotoxicity, Bioactivation, or Hormesis?" summarized the plant stress response mediated by systemic insecticides at the individual, population, and ecosystem levels, as well as their phytotoxic effects. This study systematically summarized the direct phytotoxicity of systemic insecticides, as well as their bioactivation effects. The paper also discussed the concentration-dependent effects of insecticides on plant populations, including the induction of insect resistance and the utilization of plant secondary metabolites, as well as the impact of insecticide-induced plant hormesis on ecosystems.