Volcanic ash: a broad-scope natural pesticide for global utilization in agriculture
Abstract
Overabundant volcanic dust, in the form of volcanic ash or micronized volcanic rock, is a broad-scope natural pesticide. Its physical mechanism of action is chiefly based on adhesion of cuticle and death induction via dehydration, thereby ensuring lack of ecological toxicity. After decades of modest scholarly and industrial interest following the 1972 discovery of the insecticidal mechanism of action of volcanic ash, the first volcanic rock-based pest control formulations were commercialized in Europe in the early 2020s. Applied in agriculture, volcanic dust acts as pesticide, fertilizer, biostimulant and soil conditioner supporting its widespread utilization both by farmers living nearby active volcanoes and basalt quarries and by others in regions where volcanic ash or micronized volcanic rock will be regularly shipped.
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BibTeX
@misc{pagliaro2026volcanic,
title = {{Volcanic ash: a broad-scope natural pesticide for global utilization in agriculture}},
author = {Mario Pagliaro and Giovanna Li Petri and Giuseppe Angellotti and Rosaria Ciriminna},
howpublished = {ChemRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.26434/chemrxiv.15009572/v1},
url = {https://chemrxiv.org/doi/full/10.26434/chemrxiv.15009572/v1},
note = {CC BY-NC},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Volcanic ash: a broad-scope natural pesticide for global utilization in agriculture
AU - Mario Pagliaro
AU - Giovanna Li Petri
AU - Giuseppe Angellotti
AU - Rosaria Ciriminna
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/28
PB - ChemRxiv
DO - 10.26434/chemrxiv.15009572/v1
UR - https://chemrxiv.org/doi/full/10.26434/chemrxiv.15009572/v1
AB - Overabundant volcanic dust, in the form of volcanic ash or micronized volcanic rock, is a broad-scope natural pesticide. Its physical mechanism of action is chiefly based on adhesion of cuticle and death induction via dehydration, thereby ensuring lack of ecological toxicity. After decades of modest scholarly and industrial interest following the 1972 discovery of the insecticidal mechanism of action of volcanic ash, the first volcanic rock-based pest control formulations were commercialized in Europe in the early 2020s. Applied in agriculture, volcanic dust acts as pesticide, fertilizer, biostimulant and soil conditioner supporting its widespread utilization both by farmers living nearby active volcanoes and basalt quarries and by others in regions where volcanic ash or micronized volcanic rock will be regularly shipped.
ER -