WO2009095204A2

WO2009095204A2 - Use of spinetoram as molluscicide and compositon containing it

Info

Publication number: WO2009095204A2
Application number: PCT/EP2009/000513
Authority: WO
Inventors: Max Angst; Joel Meier
Original assignee: Syngenta Participations Ag
Priority date: 2008-01-29
Filing date: 2009-01-27
Publication date: 2009-08-06
Also published as: WO2009095204A3

Abstract

The present invention relates to the use of compounds for the control of gastropods. In particular, it relates to a method of controlling gastropods using spinetoram.

Description

MOLLUSCICIDE

The present invention relates to the use of compounds for the control of gastropods. In particular, it relates to a method of controlling gastropods using certain spinosyn derivatives, especially spinetoram.

Gastropods, such as slugs and snails, are an increasing problem in horticulture and agriculture. They cause severe damage by feeding, and also generate unsightly mucus trails. Gastropods are serious pests, especially of cereals such as wheat, barley, oats and oil seed rape, and also of ornamental and vegetable plants. Gastropods feed both above and below the surface of the ground, on seeds, seedlings and plants, damaging shoots, roots, leaves and flowers, therefore reducing plant stand and crop yield.

Changes in the management of crops (such as minimum tillage, direct drilling, and high organic matter build up in the soil) have led to increased population densities of slugs and snails, further exacerbating this problem and resulting in more extensive and severe damage to crops.

Current chemical methods for controlling slugs and snails are mostly based on metaldehyde, ferric phosphate, methiocarb or thiodicarb. Methiocarb and thiodicarb are carbamate compounds, and are highly toxic to mammals. Since they are insecticides, their use in slug control can also harm beneficial insects present nearby. Metaldehyde and ferric phosphate are less toxic to beneficial organisms, but are also less efficacious for gastropod control. Non chemical methods of gastropod control include erecting physical barriers, application of predators such as beetles, or exposure to parasites such as nematodes. Whilst each of these methods has its merits, none of them provide levels of control that are as good as chemicals.

Therefore there exists a need for a chemical control method for slugs and snails, that is o efficacious, but is not harmful to beneficial insects or animals. Surprisingly, it has now been found that spinetoram provide good control of slugs and snails without harming beneficial organisms. According to the present invention, there is provided a method for controlling gastropods, comprising exposing the gastropods to a molluscicidally effective amount of spinetoram.

The present invention may be used to control any gastropods. For example, the present invention may be used to control gastropods such as Arion spp. (e.g. A. ater, A. circumscriptus, A. distinctus, A. hortensis, A. intermedins, A. rufus, A. subfuscus, A. silvaticus, A. lusitanicus), Bradybaena spp. (e.g. B. fruticum), Cantareus spp. (e.g. C. asperses), Cepaea spp. (e.g. C. hortensis, C. nemoralis), Cochlodina spp. (e.g. C. laminata), Deroceras spp. (e.g. D. agrestis, D. empiricorum, D. laeve, D. panornimatum,

D. reticulatum), Discus spp. (e.g. D. rotundatus), Euomphalia spp., Galba spp. (e.g. G. trunculata), Helicella spp. (e.g. H. itala, H. obvia), Helicigona spp. (e.g. H. arbustorum),

Helicodiscus spp., Helix spp. (e.g. H. aperta, H. aspersa, H. pomatia), Limax spp. (e.g. L. cinereoniger, L. flavus, L. marginatus, L. maximus, L. tenellus), Lymnaea spp. (e.g. L. stagnalis), Milax spp. (e.g. M. gagates, M. marginatus, M. sowerbyi, M. budapestensis),

Opeas spp., Oxyloma spp. (e.g. O. pfeifferi), Pomacea spp. (e.g. P. canaliculata),

Tandonia spp. (e.g. T. budapestensis, T. sowerbyi), Vallonia spp., and Zonitoides spp.

(e.g. Z nitidus).

Suitably the gastropods are classified within the subclass pulmonata. More suitably the present invention relates to the control of snails and slugs. In particular, the gastropods may be selected from the group consisting of Helix spp., Agriolimax spp., Limax spp., Milax spp., Arion spp., Pomacea spp. and Deroceras spp..

Spinetoram is a mixture consisting of the spinosyn derivatives 5,6-dihydro-3'-O-ethyl spinosyn J and 3'-O-ethyl spinosyn L, i.e. (2i?,3ai?,5ai?,5b5,95,135,14i?,16aS,16bi?)-2- [(6-deoxy-3-0-ethyl-2,4-di-0-methyl-α-L-mannopyranosyl)oxy]-13-[[(2i?,55',6i?)-5- (dimethylamino)tetrahydro-6-methyl-2H-pyran-2-yl]oxy]-9-ethyl- 2,3,3a,4,5,5a,5b,6,9,10,l l,12,13,14,16a,16b-hexadecahydro-14-methyl-l//-α5- indaceno[3,2-d]oxacyclododecin-7,15-dione, mixture with

(2S,3aR,5aS,5bS,9S, 135, 14Λ, 16aS, 16b5)-2-[(6-deoxy-3-O-ethyl-2,4-di-O-methyl-α-L- mannopyranosyl)oxy]-13-[[(2i?,5iS',6/?)-5-(dimethylamino)tetrahydro-6-methyl-2//- pyran-2-yl]oxy]-9-ethyl-2,3 ,3a,5a,5b,6,9, 10, 11 , 12, 13, 14, 16a, 16b-tetradecahydro-4, 14- dimethyl-lH-αs-indaceno[3,2-af]oxacyclododecin-7,15-dione. Spinetoram is known, for example, for use in crops (eg orchards) to control caterpillars and other insect pests, such as thrips.

The present invention also includes mixtures of spinosyn compounds, such as mixtures of spinetoram and spinosad. Such mixtures may be useful for example, to improve efficacy or as part of a resistance management strategy. The relative amounts of each compound in the mixture may be adjusted to take account of the properties of the selected compounds themselves, and to maximise the molluscicidal effect.

In an embodiment, spinetoram may also be used in combination with another macrolides compound to provide improved performance, examples of such macrolide compounds include abamectin, and Emamectin.

Further the spinetoram and spinosyn mixture thereof may be mixed with one or more other compounds that have molluscicidal activity, such as metaldehyde, methiocarb, thiodicarb, niclosamide, ferric phosphate, fentin hydroxide, fentin acetate, tazimcarb, trifenmorph, trimethacarb and a strobilurin compound.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the strobilurin compound is selected from the group consisting of azoxystrobin, picoxystrobin, trifloxystrobin, kresoxim methyl, enestrobin, orysastrobin, dimoxystrobin, metominostrobin, pyraclostrobin, fluoxastrobin, famoxadone and fenamidone. Preferably the strobilurin compound is selected from the group consisting of azoxystrobin, picoxystrobin, trifloxystrobin, kresoxim methyl and pyraclostrobin. In one embodiment, the strobilurin compound is azoxystrobin.

Further the spinetoram and spinosyn mixture thereof may be mixed with one or more other pesticidal compounds so that the mixture simultaneously provides control against more than one pest. For example, the spinetoram may be mixed with one or more of the following actives to provide a complete pest control, such as slug, insect and fungal control: Fipronil; acibenzolar-S-methyl; Chlorpyrifos; Cartap; Carbofuran; Imidacloprid; Monosultap; Buprofezin; Dichlorvos; Dinotefuran; Triazophos; Cypermethrin; Lambda- cyhalothrin; Acephate; Quinalphos; Deltamethrin; Fenobucarb; Thiamethoxam; Chlorantraniliprole; Endosulfan; Diazinon; Abamectin; Etofenprox; Pirimiphos- methyl;Pymetrozine; Thiocyclam; Carbosulfan; Dimethoate; Phorate; Clothianidin; Ethiprole; Gamma-cyhalothrin; methoxyfenozide; Myclobutanil; Orysastrobin; Difenoconazole; Tricyclazole; Azoxystrobin; Fenpropimorph; Propiconazole; Isoprothiolane; Hexaconazole; Probenazole; Pyroquilon; Iprobenfos; Chlorothalonil; Sulphur, Trinexapac-ethyl; Cyproconazole; Propiconazole; Thiabendazole; fludioxonil; Copper; Trifloxystrobin; Ferimzone; Streptomycin; Validamycin; Carbendazim; Metalaxyl; Mefenoxam; and Tebuconazole

Accordingly, in an another aspect, the present invention provides a pesticidal composition comprising spinetoram and one or more of Spinosad, Fipronil; acibenzolar- S-methyl; Chlorpyrifos; Cartap; Carbofuran; Imidacloprid; Monosultap; Buprofezin; Dichlorvos; Dinotefuran; Triazophos; Cypermethrin; Lambda-cyhalothrin; Acephate; Quinalphos; Deltamethrin; Fenobucarb; Thiamethoxam; Chlorantraniliprole; Endosulfan; Diazinon; Abamectin; Etofenprox; Pirimiphos-methyl;Pymetrozine; Thiocyclam; Carbosulfan; Dimethoate; Phorate; Clothianidin; Ethiprole; Gamma-cyhalothrin; methoxyfenozide; Myclobutanil; Orysastrobin; Difenoconazole; Tricyclazole; Azoxystrobin; Fenpropimorph; Propiconazole; Isoprothiolane; Hexaconazole; Probenazole; Pyroquilon; Iprobenfos; Chlorothalonil,; Sulphur, Trinexapac-ethyl; Cyproconazole; Propiconazole; Thiabendazole; fludioxonil; Copper; Trifloxystrobin; Ferimzone; Streptomycin; Validamycin; Carbendazim; Metalaxyl; Mefenoxam; and Tebuconazole. The ratio and amount of active ingredients is such that improved performance is achieved. For example, weight ratio of spinetoram to another active ingredient can be from 1 : 10 to 10:1, preferably 1 :5 to 5:1, more preferably 1 :3 to 3 : 1 , especially 1 :1.

In a preferred embodiment, the pesticidal composition comprises spinetoram and one or more of spinosad, azoxystrobin, orysastrobin, ethiprole, methoxyfenozide, gamma- cyhalothrin, chlorpyrifos, and myclobutanil.

The term "controlling" or "control" as used herein includes paralysis, repellency, feeding inhibition and killing of gastropods. In the context of plants, it includes protecting plants from gastropod infestation. The term "molluscicidally effective amount" refers to an amount of the compound that, when ingested or sensed, is sufficient to achieve a good level of control.

The present invention has the added advantage that, since spinetoram is known for insect activity, good insect control may also be achieved in addition to mollusc control at the locus at which the compounds are applied, for example on and around the plants.

Spinetoram may be applied directly to the plants, or to the locus in which they are growing. Suitably, the compound is applied to the soil adjacent to the base of the plant stem, to ensure maximum exposure of slugs or snails close to the plant to the compound.

Spinetoram may also be used to protect the roots of plants, by application directly to the soil or growing media. Preferably this is a preventative measure that takes place before the plant is planted, so that the compound can be thoroughly mixed throughout the growing medium.

Spinetoram may be applied in any convenient physical form. For example the compound may be formulated as an emulsifiable concentrate, suspension concentrate, ready-to-use solution, emulsion, microemulsion, sprayable powder, soluble powder, dispersible powder, wettable powder, dust, granule, pellet, bait or capsule formulation.

For consumer application, the compositions of the present invention are suitably formulated in a ready-to-use format, such as a sprayable powder, granule, or pellet formulation. For professional application to agricultural crops, the compositions of the present invention are suitably formulated as dispersible granules, sprayable liquid concentrates, ready to use baits, or pellets.

In one embodiment, spinetoram is in the form of a bait composition that comprises a carrier, and optionally an attractant. Any suitable carriers that are conventionally used in crop protection products may be used in the composition of the present invention. These are well known to those skilled in the art of formulation technology.

For example, the carriers may be phagostimulants. Phagostimulants are conventionally used in slug and snail bait formulations to attract gastropods to ingest the molluscicide, and are typically attractants and/or food. Mixtures of phagostimulants with other suitable organic and/or inorganic carriers may also be used.

Suitable phagostimulants for molluscicides include ground cereals (such as wheat flour, barley flour, rye flour and rice starch), crushed soya beans, fish meal, molasses, crushed rapeseed and the like. Mixtures of phagostimulants may also be used in the present invention.

The phagostimulant carrier may also act as an attractant. Any suitable gastropod attractant may be used in the bait composition.

To make the bait more palatable for gastropods, one or more of the following substances may also be used as additive: a) vitamin B, in particular Bl, B2, nicotinic acid or nicotinamide; b) vitamin E; c) animal or vegetable proteinaceous material, for example albumins and their hydrolytic degradation products, in particular those obtained by enzymatic hydrolysis by, for example, pepsin (such as metaproteins, proteoses, peptones, polypeptides, peptides, diketopiperazines and amino acids); d) one or more amino acids or salts or amides thereof, which may also be synthetic products; e) a nucleic acid or a hydrolytic degradation product thereof, such as a nucleotide, a nucleoside, adenine, guanine, cytosine, uracil or thymine; f) urea or carbamic acid; g) an ammonium salt, for example ammonium acetate; h) an amino sugar, for example glucosamine or galactosamine; i) compounds of sodium, potassium, calcium or magnesium, or traces of compounds of manganese, copper, iron, cobalt, zinc, aluminium, boron or molybdenum; j) phosphoric acid or sugar phosphates; k) water.

The bait composition may also comprise one or more bird repellents, such as anthraquinone.

The bait composition may optionally comprise stabilizers that have a fungistatic, fungicidal, bacteriostatic and/or bactericidal action, such as sodium benzoate, methyl p- hydroxy-benzoate, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, citric acid, tartaric acid, sorbic acid, phenols, alkylphenols or chlorinated phenols.

The composition may be formulated to provide a slow or delayed release of spinetoram over time, so as to provide long-term protection against gastropods. Suitable slow- release auxiliaries which may be employed in the formulation include, for example, resins (such as urea/formaldehyde resins), soybean meal, waxes, stearates and oils (such as castor oil).

Other auxiliaries that may be used in the composition of the present invention include, for example, binders (such as methylcellosolve, polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyvinyl alcohol, polyacrylates, polymethacrylates, natural waxes, chemically modified waxes and synthetic waxes, sugars, starch, alginates, agar, lignosulphonates and gum arabic), humectants (such as polyalcohols, for example sugars or glycerol), preservatives, colorants and repellents for warm-blooded species.

The bait composition may also be coated to protect it from moisture degradation, and subsequent leaching of spinetoram into the soil. Such a coating may extend the life of the bait composition, and reduce the re-application frequency needed. Suitably the bait composition does not prematurely degrade when it is applied to damp soil. The bait composition is typically provided in the form of granules or pellets. The size of the pellets is such that they can be readily consumed by the target gastropods to ensure ingestion. Typically, the pellets are from about 1 to about 5 mm in length.

Spinetoram is systemic in plants, so that they are taken up by plant roots and transported around the plant. Therefore, uptake of the compound by the plant from the soil has the added benefit that gastropods feeding on the plant material would be exposed to the molluscicide. Therefore, this may be an additional or alternative way of delivering the molluscicidal compound.

According to the present invention, there is provided a method for reducing mollusc damage to plants, comprising treating the plants or the locus surrounding the plants with a molluscicidally effective amount of spinetoram. The present invention also extends to a method for improving crop yield, comprising treating the crop or the locus surrounding the crop with a molluscicidally effective amount of spinetoram.

The term "locus" as used above refers to the physical location where the crop or plant is growing. For example, for agricultural crops, the locus may be a field; for vegetable crops, the locus may be a flowerbed or vegetable patch; and for ornamental plants, the locus may be a flower pot or container.

"Improving crop yield" means increasing the yield of a plant (for example as measured by plant biomass, grain or fruit yield, protein content, carbohydrate or oil content, or leaf area) by a measurable amount over the yield of the same plant produced under the same conditions, but without the application of the subject method.

According to the present invention, there is provided a composition for controlling gastropods, comprising a molluscicidally effective amount of spinetoram, a carrier, and optionally an attractant.

Formulations that are particularly suitable for controlling gastropods according to the present invention are granules or pellets which comprise from 0 to 90% by weight of carrier material, from 0.01 to 20 wt% by weight of active ingredient (i.e. spinetoram), from 10 to 95% by weight of phagostimulant, from 0.5 to 25% by weight of binder, and optionally from 0 to 15% by weight of other auxiliaries. Suitably, the granules or pellets comprise from 0 to 70 wt% by weight of carrier material, from 1 to 10% by weight of active ingredient, from 25 to 90% by weight of phagostimulant, from 5 to 20% by weight of binder, and optionally from 0 to 15% by weight of other auxiliaries.

The application rate of the composition of the invention depends on the concentration of spinetoram in the formulation. Typically, the concentration of spinetoram compound will be adjusted so that the composition may be applied at a dose in the range from about 1 to 15kg bait /ha. When the composition comprises from 0.01 to 20 wt % of active ingredient, this is equivalent to applying between about O.lg ai /ha and 3000g ai/ha. To achieve optimal control it is preferable that the molluscicidal composition is distributed as uniformly as possible between the plants. In an embodiment, the rates for spinetoram per ha are estimated to be between 1 g and 1 kg, preferably 1Og to 25Og, more preferably 50 to 20Og, ai. In a preference, a bait is concentrated between 0.01 and 5, peferably, between 0.5 and 2, wt% of the compound.

According to the present invention, there is provided use of a composition comprising spinetoram to control gastropods. The present invention may be used to protect any crop, ornamental or vegetable plants from damage by gastropods, in either open (such as plant pots, gardens, fields and the like) or closed (such as glasshouses, polytunnels and the like) environments.

Suitable target crops for control of gastropods include, for example cereals (such as wheat, barley, rye, oats, rice, maize or sorghum); beet (such as sugar or fodder beet); fruit (such as pome fruit, stone fruit, apples, pears, plums, peaches, almonds, cherries, strawberries, raspberries or blackberries); legumes (such as beans, lentils, peas or soya beans); oil crops (such as oil seed rape, mustard, poppies, olives, sunflowers, coconuts, castor, cacao or peanuts); marrows (such as pumpkins, cucumbers or melons); fibre plants (such as cotton, flax, hemp or jute); citrus fruits (such as oranges, lemons, grapefruits or tangerines); vegetables (such as spinach, lettuce, asparagus, cabbage species, carrots, onions, tomatoes, potatoes, or capsicums); laurels (such as avocado, Cinnamonium or camphor); and tobacco, nuts, coffee, egg plants, sugar cane, tea, pepper, grapevines, hops, the banana family, latex plants and ornamentals. In particular, the spinetoram and compositions thereof are particularly useful in rice, especially against Pomacea spp.

For example the invention may be used on any of the following ornamental species: Ageratum, Alonsoa, Anemone spp., Anisodontea capsenisis, Anthemis, Antirrhinum, Rhododendron spp., Begonia spp. (eg. B. elatior, B. semperflorens, B. tubereux), Bougainvillea spp., Brachycome spp., Calceolaria, Capsicum annuum, Catharanthus roseus, Ornamental Brassica, Canna spp., Chrysanthemum, Cineraria spp. (C maritime), Crassula coccinea, Cuphea ignea, Dicentra spectabilis, Dorotheantus, Eustoma grandiflorum, Forsythia, Fuchsia spp., Geranium Gnaphalium, Gomphrena globosa, Heliotropium, Helianthus, Hibiscus, Hortensia, Hosta, Hypoestes phyllostachya, Impatiens spp. (/. Walleriand), Iresines, Kalanchoe spp., Lantana camara, Lavatera trimestris, Leonotis leonurus, Lilium, Mesembryanthemum, Mimulus, Nemesia, Tagetes, Dianthus spp. (carnation), Canna, Oxalis, Bellis, Pelargonium spp. (P. peltatum, P. Zonale), Viola spp. (pansy), Petunia, Plecthranthus, Poinsettia, Parthenocissus spp. (P. Quinquefolia, P. Tricuspidata), Primula, Ranunculus, Rosa spp. (rose), Salvia, Scaevola aemola, Schizanthus wisetonensis, Solanum, Surfinia, Tagetes spp., Nicotinia, Verbena spp., Zinnia spp. and other bedding plants. Preferred within this class of ornamental crops are Viola, Petunia, Begonia, Impatiens, Geranium (including from seeds and cuttings), Chrysanthemum (including from cuttings), Rosa (including pot plants and from cuttings), Poinsettia, Ranunculus, Fuchsia, Salvia and Hortensia.

The compositions of the present invention are also suitable for the protection of plant propagation material, for example seed, such as fruits, tubers or kernels, from gastropods. The propagation material can be treated with a suitable composition prior to planting, for example by soaking, spraying or coating seed prior to sowing. Alternatively, the composition can be applied directly to the locus at which the propagation material is to be planted (for example onto the ground, into a seed furrow, or into pot plant growing media). In an embodiment, spinetoram is applied to plant propagation material, such as seeds, at a rate of 0.1 to 100, preferably 1 to 60, more preferably 4 to 40, g/100kg of seeds. The present invention may also be used to protect stored products from gastropods. The following Examples illustrate the present invention.

EXAMPLES

Example 1

Adult slugs (Deroceras reticulatum), were field-collected from an irrigated plot of mixed herbage and maintained in plastic boxes lined with moist, unbleached, absorbent paper and under controlled environmental conditions (12 hour photoperiod, 10°C, 90%RH). Slugs were fed ad. lib. on wheat grain and a mixture of fresh foliage for a period of up to one week prior to testing. Slugs were then starved for a period of 48 hours before treatment.

Individual slugs were weighed and anaesthetized using CO₂ for a period of 10-20 minutes. Test solutions were incorporated into a warm agar jelly (1.0 % w/v) to reduce the risk of regurgitation. Twenty μl aliquots of warm agar mix was then injected into the buccal cavity of a single slug using a fine glass micro-syringe and gently eased into the slug crop. Individual slugs were then placed into labelled Petri dishes lined with moist, unbleached, absorbent paper. Following application of treatments, slugs were maintained under controlled environmental conditions (12 hr photoperiod, 10°C, 90% RH), and slug health recorded over the subsequent three days. Slug health was classified into one of four categories:

• Healthy (showing no symptoms)

• Affected (showing some symptoms of poisoning, excessive mucus production/deformity)

• Moribund (severely affected/paralysed, unable to move in response to gentle prodding)

• Dead

In the Examples a solution concentrate of spinetoram (12O g ai/1) in Radiant™ SC Insecticide, i.e. a commercial solution concentrate ex. Dow AgroScience) was used, and applied in three different rates of spinetoram as indicated in the Table below. Table 1

Control of Deroceras reticulatum

The results presented in Table 1 demonstrate that spinetoram can be suitably and effectively used in the control of slugs.

Claims

1. A method for controlling gastropods, comprising exposing the gastropods to a molluscicidally effective amount of spinetoram.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the gastropods are from the subclass pulmonata.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the gastropods are selected from the group consisting of Helix spp., Agriolimax spp., Umax spp., Milax spp., Arion spp., Pomacea spp. and Deroceras spp..

4. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein spinetoram is applied to a locus at which gastropods are present.

5. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein spinetoram is in the form of a bait composition that comprises a carrier, and optionally an attractant.

6. A method for reducing mollusc damage to plants, comprising treating the plants or the locus surrounding the plants with a molluscicidally effective amount of spinetoram.

7. A composition comprising spinetoram and one or more active ingredients selected from spinosad, azoxystrobin, orysastrobin, ethiprole, methoxyfenozide, gamma-cyhalothrin, chlorpyrifos, and myclobutanil.

8. A composition for controlling gastropods, comprising a) a molluscicidally effective amount of spinetoram, b) a carrier, and c) an attractant.

9. Use of a composition comprising spinetoram to control gastropods.

10. Use of a composition comprising spinetoram to repel gastropods.