Commercial Pesticide Research Articles

Commercial Dimethoate Pesticide Adsorption on Organic Soil: Experimental and Theoretical Investigations

Commercial Dimethoate Pesticide Adsorption on Organic Soil: Experimental and Theoretical Investigations

Improved Ensemble Model for Insecticide Recognition by Incorporating Insect Toxicity Data.

Pesticide molecules, such as insecticides, play a critical role in modern agricultural production. Traditional pesticide development methods are often inefficient and expensive, while data-driven artificial intelligence (AI) techniques have emerged as a useful tool to facilitate drug discovery. However, currently available commercial pesticide data is limited, which makes the trained models unsatisfactory in terms of performance and generalization. From a domain knowledge perspective, insect toxicity data were incorporated to improve the insecticide recognition of AI models. Compared to the models trained with the original data set, the new models performed better in the external validation, and their generalization was more desirable. In addition, by integrating different types of individual models, we obtained an ensemble model with better performance. Based on this, an online platform was developed to provide researchers with free access to insecticide screening (https://dpai.ccnu.edu.cn/InsectiVS/). Finally, two potential insecticide molecules with insecticidal activity against Plutella xylostella were successfully identified in a real-world scenario. In conclusion, this idea connects the fields of AI and agricultural chemistry and is expected to have wide application in pesticide research.

Evaluation of the effects of two commercial pesticides on Daphnia magna in different feeding environments using morphological and biochemical markers

ABSTRACT In this study, the impact of exposure to a glyphosate-based herbicide (GBH) and a trifloxystrobin-based fungicide (TBF) on Daphnia magna in diverse feeding environments was assessed through the analysis of morphological and biochemical markers. The test organisms selected for analysis were Chlorella vulgaris and D. magna. First, the 48-hour median lethal concentrations (LC50) of GBH and TBF for D. magna were determined to be 253.1 mg/L and 20.7 µg/L, respectively. Secondly, the lethality, length, width, and spin length of D. magna were evaluated following exposure to sublethal pesticide concentrations, selected based on the LC50 values, in different feeding environments. Thirdly, the activities of glutathione S-transferase (GST), glutathione reductase, catalase (CAT), carboxylesterase, and acetylcholinesterase, as well as the levels of reduced glutathione, were measured in D. magna exposed to sublethal pesticide concentrations in different feeding environments. Both pesticides caused an increase in CAT activity, while GBH also caused an increase in GST activity in the unfed and mixed-fed groups. Conversely, it can be concluded that feeding with C. vulgaris reduces oxidative stress and toxic effects since there was a lesser increase in GST and CAT activities in the C. vulgaris-fed group for both pesticides, similar to the lethality.

Magnificent Bio-Management of Pesticides in Agriculture Soil

Following World War II, the agrochemical industry burgeoned, introducing diverse chemical agents like pesticides and herbicides to enhance crop production. These compounds, including herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides, are toxic and persist in the environment, causing soil, water, and air pollution and disrupting ecological balance. Farmers, heavily reliant on soil, initially use these chemicals to boost productivity, but over time, they become detrimental, accumulating in organisms and harming trophic levels. Addressing this challenge involves improving soil quality and eco-friendliness for maximum crop production. Indigenous microbial consortia, comprising bacteria and fungi, offer a cost-effective and eco-friendly solution by metabolizing and bio-remediating toxic compounds. This review focuses on their role in removing commercial xenobiotic pesticides that harm soil.

A novel pesticide has lethal consequences for an important pollinator

Wild bees pollinate crops and wildflowers where they are frequently exposed to pesticides. Neonicotinoids are the most commonly used insecticide globally, but restrictions on their use and rising pest resistance have increased the demand for alternative pesticides. Flupyradifurone is a novel insecticide that has been licenced globally for use on bee-visited crops. Here, in a semi-field experiment, we exposed solitary bees (Osmia lignaria) to a commercial pesticide formulation (Sivanto Prime) containing flupyradifurone at label-recommended rates. We originally designed the experiment to examine sublethal effects, but contrary to our expectations, 100 % of bees released into pesticide-treated cages died within 3 days of exposure, compared to 0 % in control plots. Bees exposed to flupyradifurone a few days after the initial application survived but endured prolonged sublethal effects, including lower nesting success, impairment to foraging efficiency, and higher mortality. These results demonstrate that exposure to this novel insecticide poses significant threats to solitary bees and add to a growing body of evidence indicating that this pesticide can have negative impacts on wild bees at field-realistic concentrations. In the short-term, we recommend that commercial formulations containing flupyradifurone should be restricted to non-flowering crops while a reassessment of its safety can be conducted. In the long-term, environmental risk assessors should continue to develop risk assessments that are truly holistic and incorporate the ecological and life history traits of multiple pollinator species.

Novel insights into the photochemical transformation of neonicotinoid insecticides: Potential involvement of adjuvants

Commercial pesticide formulations often contain both the active ingredient and different adjuvants, the potential impacts of adjuvants on pesticides’ transformation have been barely considered. In this study, effects of typical adjuvants (i.e. hexadecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB), hexadecyl trimethyl ammonium chloride (CTAC) and p-Octyl polyethylene glycol phenyl ether (TX-100)) on the photodegradation of four selected neonicotinoid insecticides (NIs), including thiamethoxam (TMX), dinotefuran (DIN), imidacloprid (IMP) and acetamiprid (ACP) were systematically investigated. Specifically, CTAB and CTAC exhibited minimal or no impact on the photolysis of four NIs, while TX-100 significantly inhibited their decay. Such inhibitory effect could mainly be attributed weakening the formation of key transient intermediates, such as the corresponding radical cation (NI•+), radical anion (NI•-) as well as hydrated electron (eaq-). Photoproducts identification revealed a novel transformation pathway of NIs in the presence of TX-100, characterized by de-chain reactions, resulting in the formation of photostable dimeric photoproducts. These dimers exhibited varying toxicity: for TMX, DIN and IMP, their corresponding dimers showed increased toxicity compared to their parent compounds, whereas for ACP, they displayed decreased toxicity. These provide important information for the evaluation the environmental fates and toxicology of formulaic NIs.

Dual actions of chloroinconazide on pepper blight in Capsicum annuum: disruption of Phytophthora capsici mycelium and activation of CaCNGC9-mediated SA signaling.

Pepper blight, caused by Phytophthora capsici, is a devastating disease that seriously threatens pepper production worldwide. With the emergence of resistance in P. capsici against conventional fungicides, there is an urgent need to explore novel alternatives for pepper blight management. This study aims to assess the inhibitory effect of chloroinconazide (CHI), a compound synthesized from tryptophan, against pepper blight, and to explore its potential mechanisms of action. The results demonstrated that CHI effectively targeted P. capsici, disrupting its growth and mycelial structure, which resulted in the release of dissolved intracellular substances. Additionally, CHI significantly inhibited the sporangium formation, zoospores release, and zoospores germination, thereby reducing the re-infection of P. capsici. In contrast, the commercial pesticide methylaxyl only inhibited mycelial growth and had limited effect on re-infection, while azoxystrobin inhibited re-infection but had a weak inhibitory effect on mycelial growth. Furthermore, CHI activated the salicylic acid (SA) signaling pathway-mediated immune response to inhibit P. capsici infection in pepper, with this activation being contingent upon cyclic nucleotide-gated ion channel CaCNGC9. CHI exhibited potent dual inhibitory effects on P. capsici by disrupting mycelial structure and activating the CaCNGC9-mediated SA signaling pathway. These dual mechanisms of action suggested that CHI could serve as a promising alternative chemical fungicide for the effective management of pepper blight, offering a new approach to control this devastating disease. Our findings highlighted the potential of CHI as a sustainable and efficient solution to combat the increasing resistance of P. capsici to conventional fungicides, ensuring better crop protection and yield. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Synthesis and Biological Activities of C1-Substituted Acylhydrazone β-Carboline Analogues as Antifungal Candidates.

In our ongoing work to create potential antifungal agents, we synthesized and tested a group of C1-substituted acylhydrazone β-carboline analogues 9a-o and 10a-o for their effectiveness against Valsa mali, Fusarium solani, Fusarium oxysporum, and Fusarium graminearum. Their compositions were analyzed using different spectral techniques, such as 1H/13C NMR and HRMS, with the structure of 9l being additionally confirmed through X-ray diffraction. The antifungal evaluation showed that, among all the target β-carboline analogues, compounds 9n and 9o exhibited more promising and broad-spectrum antifungal activity than the commercial pesticide hymexazol. Several intriguing findings regarding structure-activity relationships (SARs) were examined. In addition, the cytotoxicity test showed that these acylhydrazone β-carboline analogues with C1 substitutions exhibit a preference for fungi, with minimal harm to healthy cells (LO2). The reported findings provide insights into the development of β-carboline analogues as new potential antifungal agents.

Efficacy of neem and basil leaf extracts in controlling whitefly (Bemisia Tabaci) infestations and enhancing yield in curly red chili peppers (Capsicum annuum L.)

Whiteflies (Bemisia tabaci) are a major pest of curly red chili peppers, acting as vectors for gemini viruses that significantly reduce crop productivity. This study evaluated the efficacy of neem and basil leaf extracts at three different concentrations for controlling whitefly infestations on chili plants. A randomized complete block design (RCBD) was employed with 8 treatments and 2 controls: PA (Neem 1%), PB (Neem 2%), PC (Neem 3%), PD (Basil 1%), PE (Basil 2%), PF (Basil 3%), PKM (commercial pesticide as positive control), and P0 (distilled water as negative control). Parameters assessed included whitefly infestation intensity, yellowing of shoots, fruit weight, total fruit count, and the number of infested fruits. The results indicate that both neem and basil leaf extracts effectively reduced whitefly infestation intensity and yellowing of shoots compared to the negative control (P0). Despite some increase in infestation intensity in subsequent observations, both neem and basil extracts positively impacted fruit yield, including higher fruit weight and total fruit count. However, there was no significant effect on the number of infested fruits with the treatments. These findings suggest that neem and basil leaf extracts are promising alternatives for managing whitefly infestations and improving yield in curly red chili peppers.

The Influence of Low Pesticide Doses on Fusarium Molds

The agricultural sector is a large consumer of synthetic chemical products, especially fertilizers and plant protection products. Therefore, an emerging concern nowadays is to reduce chemicals’ use in agriculture. One of the approaches is to reduce the doses of plant protection products, as much as possible, while keeping the treatments’ efficacy. The present work presents the antifungal action of three commercial plant protection products, tested at recommended as well as reduced doses, against important phytopathogenic molds of the Fusarium genus. In vitro, results have shown that two of the tested products could be used at reduced doses while keeping their antifungal activity. The commercial pesticide containing prothioconazole 53 g/L, spiroxamine 224 g/L, and tebuconazole 148 g/L mixture was able to inhibit completely the growth of three virulent F. culmorum strains, even when fungicide treatment was applied in 25% reduced dose. Lower efficacy was seen on F. graminearum strains, however, there were no significant differences (p < 0.05) between the commercially recommended dose and the 25% reduced dose. Another efficient pesticide in Fusarium control contains triadimenol 43 g/L, spiroxamine 250 g/L, and tebuconazole 167 g/L. Tested in a reduced dose (28.6% less than the commercial recommended dose) it completely inhibited the F. graminearum Fg183 (DSM 4527) strain and inhibited the growth of various F. culmorum strains with at least 97.50% efficacy. However, there are some fungal strains, such as the aggressive F. graminearum Fg96 strains that were less susceptible to pesticide treatments even at commercially recommended doses of fungicides.

Chronic effects of commercial pesticide preparations on biomarkers and reproductive success in earthworm Eisenia andrei

Chemical pollution resulting from pesticide usage has been a continuous issue since the 1960s, despite comprehensive European Union legislation designed to safeguard human health and the environment from the adverse effects of pesticides. While regulatory risk assessments primarily focus on the active ingredients, recent research indicates ecotoxicological impacts of commercial preparations on non-target organisms, particularly within the soil ecosystem where key species such as earthworms play a vital role in maintaining soil quality and fertility. Therefore, the aim of this study was the assessment of the long-term effects of the following respective commercial preparations: the insecticides Sumialfa (esfenvalerate) and Calypso (thiacloprid), as well as the herbicides Frontier (dimethenamid-p) and Filon (prosulfocarb) on the earthworm Eisenia andrei in standardized soil during long-term exposures of 7, 14, and 28 days. To study the possible effects on different levels of biological organization, enzymatic biomarkers: acetylcholinesterase (AChE), carboxylesterase (CES) glutathione S-transferase (GST), glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione peroxidase (GPx); non-enzymatic biomarkers: multixenobiotic resistance activity (MXR), levels of glutathione (GSH), and reactive oxygen species (ROS) as well as reproductive success were investigated. While Calypso appeared to be the least toxic substance, all pesticides showed significant effect on multiobiomarker response in E. fetida. That being said, the response of MXR activity was significantly altered by all tested pesticides indicating MXR being the most sensitive endpoint of the present research. Recovery of MXR was observed after 28 days, however, only in case of exposure to Filon, while the recovery of CAT activity was recorded after 28 days as well, subsequent to Sumialfa exposure. Reproductive success was negatively impacted regarding the Frontier and Sumialfa exposure at the highest concentration (100 mg/kg) reflected in reduced number of cocoons, while only the exposure to Frontier (100 mg/kg) reduced the number of juveniles. Based on the results, it is important to include commercial pesticide formulations in pesticide risk assessments. The toxicity classifications of the studied pesticides suggest the potential detrimental consequences to the key soil species in terrestrial ecosystems at various concentrations. Future studies should include other soil species as well as investigation of higher levels of biological organization, i.e., behavioral endpoints, to determine the potential risks to terrestrial ecosystems.

Biochemical responses of Echinochloa polystachya inoculated with a Trichoderma consortium during the removal of a pyrethroid-based pesticide

The biochemical response of plants exposed to pesticides and inoculated with microorganisms is of great importance to explore cleaning up strategies for contaminated sites with pyrethroid-based pesticides. We evaluated the effects of a Trichoderma consortium on the biochemical responses of Echinochloa polystachya plants during the removal of a pyrethroid-based pesticide. Plants were inoculated or not with the Trichoderma consortium and exposed to commercial pesticide H24®, based on pyrethroids. Pesticide application resulted in significant reduction in root protein content (58%), but enhanced content of malondialdehyde (MDA) in shoots, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in shoots and roots, and catalase (CAT) activity in roots. Inoculation of Trichoderma consortium in E. polystachya exposed to the pesticide resulted in increased protein content in roots and MDA content in shoots (2-fold). Trichoderma consortium improved protein content and SOD activity (140-fold) in plants. Fungal inoculation increased the removal (97.9%) of the pesticide in comparison to the sole effect of plants (33.9%). Results allow further understanding about the responses of the interaction between plants and root-associated fungi to improving the assisted-phytoremediation of solid matrices contaminated with organic pesticides.

Adhesion Peptide-Functionalized Biobased Microgels for Controlled Delivery of Pesticides.

Widespread use of plant protection agents in agriculture is a major cause of pollution. Apart from active ingredients, the environmental impact of auxiliary synthetic polymers should be minimized if they are highly persistent. An alternative to synthetic polymers is the use of natural polysaccharides, which are abundant and biodegradable. In this study, we explore pectin microgels functionalized with anchor peptides (P-MAPs) to be used as an alternative biobased pesticide delivery system. Using copper as the active ingredient, P-MAPs effectively prevented infection of grapevine plants with downy mildew under semi-field conditions on par with commercial copper pesticides. By using anchor peptides, the microgels tightly bind to the leaf surface, exhibiting excellent rain fastness and prolonged fungicidal activity. Finally, P-MAPs are shown to be easily degradable by enzymes found in nature, demonstrating their negligible long-term impact on the environment.

Adhesion Peptide‐Functionalized Biobased Microgels for Controlled Delivery of Pesticides

AbstractWidespread use of plant protection agents in agriculture is a major cause of pollution. Apart from active ingredients, the environmental impact of auxiliary synthetic polymers should be minimized if they are highly persistent. An alternative to synthetic polymers is the use of natural polysaccharides, which are abundant and biodegradable. In this study, we explore pectin microgels functionalized with anchor peptides (P‐MAPs) to be used as an alternative biobased pesticide delivery system. Using copper as the active ingredient, P‐MAPs effectively prevented infection of grapevine plants with downy mildew under semi‐field conditions on par with commercial copper pesticides. By using anchor peptides, the microgels tightly bind to the leaf surface, exhibiting excellent rain fastness and prolonged fungicidal activity. Finally, P‐MAPs are shown to be easily degradable by enzymes found in nature, demonstrating their negligible long‐term impact on the environment.

Assessing the effects of a commercial fungicide and an herbicide, alone and in combination, on Apis mellifera: Insights from biomarkers and cognitive analysis

Agrochemicals play a vital role in protecting crops and enhancing agricultural production by reducing threats from pests, pathogens and weeds. The toxicological status of honey bees can be influenced by a number of factors, including pesticides. While extensive research has focused on the lethal and sublethal effects of insecticides on individual bees and colonies, it is important to recognise that fungicides and herbicides can also affect bees' health. Unfortunately, in the field, honey bees are exposed to mixtures of compounds rather than single substances. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a commercial fungicide and a commercial herbicide, both individually and in combination, on honey bees. Mortality assays, biomarkers and learning and memory tests were performed, and the results were integrated to assess the toxicological status of honey bees. Neurotoxicity (acetylcholinesterase and carboxylesterase activities), detoxification and metabolic processes (glutathione S-transferase and alkaline phosphatase activities), immune system function (lysozyme activity and haemocytes count) and genotoxicity biomarkers (Nuclear Abnormalities assay) were assessed. The fungicide Sakura® was found to activate detoxification enzymes and affect alkaline phosphatase activity. The herbicide Elegant 2FD and the combination of both pesticides showed neurotoxic effects and induced detoxification processes. Exposure to the herbicide/fungicide mixture impaired learning and memory in honey bees. This study represents a significant advance in understanding the toxicological effects of commonly used commercial pesticides in agriculture and contributes to the development of effective strategies to mitigate their adverse effects on non-target insects.

Oxidative stress and DNA alteration on the earthworm Eisenia fetida exposed to four commercial pesticides

Modern agriculture is mainly based on the use of pesticides to protect crops but their efficiency is very low, in fact, most of them reach water or soil ecosystems causing pollution and health hazards to non-target organisms. Fungicide triazoles and strobilurins based are the most widely used and require a specific effort to investigate toxicological effects on non-target species. This study evaluates the toxic effects of four commercial fungicides Prosaro® (tebuconazole and prothioconazole), Amistar®Xtra (azoxystrobin and cyproconazole), Mirador® (azoxystrobin) and Icarus® (Tebuconazole) on Eisenia fetida using several biomarkers: lipid peroxidation (LPO), catalase activity (CAT), glutathione S-transferase (GST), total glutathione (GSHt), DNA fragmentation (comet assay) and lysozyme activity tested for the first time in E. fetida. The exposure to Mirador® and AmistarXtra® caused an imbalance of ROS species, leading to the inhibition of the immune system. AmistarXtra® and Prosaro®, composed of two active ingredients, induced significant DNA alteration, indicating genotoxic effects. This study broadened our knowledge of the effects of pesticide product formulations on earthworms and showed the need for improvement in the evaluation of toxicological risk deriving from the changing of physicochemical and toxicological properties that occur when a commercial formulation contains more than one active ingredient and several unknown co-formulants.

Enhancing the safety of a chitosan-based nanopesticide in zebrafish through interactions with water microorganisms

Understanding the impact of chitosan-based nanoparticles (NPs) on ecological systems is vital for assessing their environmental behavior and safety. In this study, we investigated the effects of pyraclostrobin@chitosan-based nanoparticles (NPs.PYR) on microbial communities in a pond. NPs.PYR significantly impacted the abundance of microbial communities in the pond, compared with the commercial pesticide suspensions. We employed Chlorella sp. as a representative microorganism to explain this phenomenon and found that the NPs and NPs.PYR treatments induced a rapid decrease in the abundance of Chlorella sp. This phenomenon can be attributed to the electrostatic interaction between the NPs and microorganisms, along with the affinity of the microorganisms’ extracellular polymers to the chitosan-based NPs, resulting in the cosettlement of the microorganisms with these NPs. The NPs.PYR migrated from the overlying water to the sediment, decreasing the PYR concentration in the overlying water. The mortality of zebrafish specimens exposed to NPs.PYR was significantly lower than that of the specimens exposed to pyraclostrobin suspension concentrate. These results suggest that the prepared chitosan-based nanopesticide tends to aggregate with microorganisms, leading to cosettlement and reduced pesticide levels in the overlying water, thus enhancing the safety of nontarget animals.

Biosynthesis of high antibacterial silver chloride nanoparticles against Ralstonia solanacearum using spent mushroom substrate extract

Abstract In this study, a green and highly efficient method was proposed to synthesize nano-silver chloride (nano-AgCl) by using spent mushroom substrate (SMS) extract as a cheap reactant. Nanoparticles were characterized by a series of techniques like X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), which showed the formation of near-spherical silver chloride nanoparticles with an average size of about 8.30 nm. Notably, the synthesized nano-silver chloride has a more prominent antibacterial effect against Ralstonia solanacearum (EC50=5.18 mg/L) than non-nano-sized silver chloride particles, nano-silver chloride synthesized by chemical method, and commercial pesticides. In-depth, the study of mechanism revealed that nano-silver chloride could cause cell membrane disruption, DNA damage and intracellular generation of reactive oxygen species (•OH, •O2- and 1O2) leading to peroxidation damage in Ralstonia solanacearum (R. solanacearum). And the reaction between nano-silver chloride and bacteria could be driven by intermolecular forces instead of electrostatic interactions. Our study provides a new approach to synthesizing nano-silver chloride as a highly efficient antibacterial agent and broadens the utilization of agricultural waste spent mushroom substrate.

Stable isotope composition of pesticides in commercial formulations: The ISOTOPEST database

By assessing the changes in stable isotope compositions within individual pesticide molecules, Compound Specific Isotope Analysis (CSIA) holds the potential to identify and differentiate sources and quantify pesticide degradation in the environment. However, the environmental application of pesticide CSIA is limited by the general lack of knowledge regarding the initial isotopic composition of active substances in commercially available formulations used by farmers. To address this limitation, we established a database aimed at cataloguing and disseminating isotopic signatures in commercial formulations to expand the use of pesticide CSIA. Our study involved the collection of 25 analytical standards and 120 commercial pesticide formulations from 23 manufacturers. Subsequently, 59 commercial formulations and 25 standards were extracted, and each of their active substance was analyzed for both δ13C (n = 84) and δ15N CSIA (n = 43). The extraction of pesticides did not cause significant isotope fractionation (Δ13C and Δ15N < 1‰). Incorporating existing literature data, stable carbon and nitrogen isotope signatures varied in a relatively narrow range among pesticide formulations for different pesticides (Δ13C and Δ15N < 10‰) and within different formulations for a single substance (Δ13C and Δ15N < 2‰). Overall, this suggests that pesticide CSIA is more suited for identifying pesticide transformation processes rather than differentiating pesticide sources. Moreover, an inter-laboratory comparison showed similar δ13C (Δ13C ≤ 1.2 ‰) for the targeted substances albeit varying GC-IRMS instruments. Insignificant carbon isotopic fractionation (Δ13C < 0.5‰) was observed after 4 years of storing the same pesticide formulations, confirming their viability for long-term storage at 4 °C and future inter-laboratory comparison exercises. Altogether, the ISOTOPEST database, in open access for public use and additional contributions, marks a significant advancement in establishing an environmentally relevant pesticide CSIA approach.

Biological Control of Ustilaginoidea virens Using Chelerythrine Suspension

Background High efficiency, low toxicity, and environmentally safe pesticides are increasingly being sought and developed to ensure sustainable development and high-yield agricultural production. Chelerythrine has strong inhibitory effects against the mycelial growth of crop pathogens such as Fusarium oxysporum, Anthrax, and grey mold. Our previous studies have shown that chelerythrine inhibits fungus spore germination by up to 86.7% and induces the apoptosis of Ustilaginoidea virens cells. The application of chelerythrine as a green biological pesticide would not only enhance agricultural production but also enhance ecological protection. Materials and Methods The formulation of a chelerythrine suspension concentrate was selected. According to the ratio of experimental design requirements to preparation sample, six groups were set up in the field assay; the first spraying was performed approximately 7 days before the rice rupture period, and the second spraying was performed after 10 days. The control effect was investigated at the milk-ripe stage. The present study preliminarily investigates the safety of chelerythrine as a pesticide using the oral acute toxicity test for mice. Results In the present study, the effect of chelerythrine as the main ingredient in suspension concentrate formulations and its field effect on rice false smut (RFS) was investigated. The pesticide in the suspending agent was sprayed twice and had superior effects with regard to the prevention and control of RFS in the field. The control effect was 95.88% at an application rate of 192 mL/ha, with low residue, environmentally safe, and low resistance characteristics. An acute toxicity test following intragastric administration in mice showed that the LD50 of chelerythrine suspension was 1580 mg·kg−1, which was much lower than those of other low-toxicity commercial pesticides. Conclusion Chelerythrine suspension was a low-toxicity agent and exhibited the characteristics of an environmentally friendly plant pesticide. The application of chelerythrine suspension could facilitate the achievement of the goal of pesticide reduction efficiency.