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Spodoptera littoralis, commonly known as the Egyptian or African cotton leafworm, is a significant agricultural threat. It is widely distributed in Africa, Mediterranean Europe, and Middle Eastern countries. This polyphagous pest infests numerous crop plants across 44 families, including cotton, soybeans, alfalfa, sweet potato, pepper, eggplant, tomato, maize, lettuce, strawberry, wheat, and hibiscus. The damage caused by S. littoralis on different plant organs, such as young leaves, shoots, stalks, bolls, buds, and fruits, often determines substantial product losses. Current control strategies predominantly rely on synthetic insecticides, which, despite their efficacy, have notable drawbacks, including insecticide resistance, environmental contamination, consumer concerns, and adverse effects on non-target organisms and beneficial insects. In response to these challenges, in this study, we developed and evaluated a garlic EO-based nanoemulsion with a high EO concentration (15%) and low surfactant content to mitigate the possible negative impact on plants and to enhance efficacy against S. littoralis larvae. Laboratory bioassays demonstrated promising larvicidal activity and reduced larval feeding, although some phytotoxicity symptoms were observed. This study underscores the potential of botanical insecticides as sustainable alternatives to synthetic chemicals, emphasizing the importance of balancing efficacy with environmental and ecological considerations in pest management strategies. Full article

The capacity of untreated cotton stalk to remove and adsorb Cu²⁺ ions in synthetic and natural aqueous solutions was evaluated. The influence of three sensitive parameters of the adsorption process—solution pH, adsorbent dosage, and contact time—on the percentage of Cu²⁺ removal in agricultural wastewater, livestock wastewater, and synthetic samples was studied. Physicochemical and morphological properties were studied using thermogravimetry, Fourier infrared spectrophotometry, and scanning electron microscopy. The elemental composition, proximal composition, zero charge point, and acid–base sites were determined. In addition, kinetic studies were performed, and the adsorption equilibrium was analyzed. The optimum conditions for Cu²⁺ adsorption were the following: solution pH = 5.5, adsorbent dosage of 0.6 g, and contact time of 60 min. Under these conditions, the percentage of Cu²⁺ removal in synthetic samples was 66.5% when the initial copper concentration was 50 mg/L. The removal percentage in agricultural and livestock wastewater samples was 87.60% and 85.05%, respectively, when the initial copper concentration was 25 mg/L. The adsorption data are consistent with the Freundlich isotherm model, which achieved a quadratic fit of 0.991 compared to 0.5542 for the Langmuir model. The experimental results indicate that the adsorption adequately fits the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The results suggest that cotton stalks are a promising adsorbent for the ecological and economical removal of Cu²⁺ in wastewater. This research, therefore, provides relevant information that contributes to the sustainable management of agricultural waste and instills hope for a reduction in water pollution from heavy metals derived from agricultural activities. Full article