Efficacy Of Agrochemicals Research Articles

From Fruit Waste to Hydrogels for Agricultural Applications

Here, we describe and assess a method for reusing specific food waste to make hydrogels, which can be employed to improve the efficacy of agrochemicals and water. It represents an approach for tackling current challenges, such as food waste, water management, and pesticide optimization. Depending on the formulation, the hydrogels were created by crosslinking pectin and starch with CaCl2 or sodium trimetaphosphate. FTIR and SEM were employed to investigate the methylation degree of the extracted pectin, as well as the surface morphology and interior structure of the hydrogels. The swelling behavior and water retention in sandy soil have been investigated. In addition to the hydrogels’ potential to control and reduce pesticide loss, the herbicide Picloram is a model compound. The results show that the hydrogels have important swelling, up to 300%, and a capacity to retain water, preserve, and increase the water content in sandy soil up to 12 days. Picloram experiments show that hydrogels can limit herbicide mobility for up to 30 days under controlled conditions. The conversion of food wastes to highly valuable materials is a promising approach to optimize the water consumption and the loss of agrochemicals regarding sustainable agriculture.

UAV-based Herbicide Application for Efficient Weed Management in Direct-seeded Rice

Background: Weeds are the key pest, which reduce crop productivity. Direct-seeded rice is very prone to early-stage weed infestation during initial crop development. Cultural and mechanical methods are difficult due to unavailability of labour and poor work efficiency. Hence, use of herbicides is an effective method for timely weed control. However, the efficacy of agrochemicals depends on the efficiency of spraying equipment. Conventional knapsack sprayers are used most often to spray herbicides but they are highly time-consuming, labour intensive and labour drudgery practices. Hence, the current experiment was aimed to study the efficiency of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) on weed management. Methods: A field experiment was conducted at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore during summer, 2022 to evaluate the efficacy of UAV-based herbicide application in direct-seeded rice. The study comprised of five weed management treatments such as pre emergence application of pretilachlor with safener and pyrazosulfuron through both UAV and knapsack sprayer and unweeded check as control. The experimental plot was laid out in a randomized block design with four replications. Result: The experimental findings showed that the application of pre-emergence pretilachlor significantly reduced the density and dry weight of grasses, sedges and broad leaved weeds in knapsack application. Moreover, it was found on par with UAV application of same herbicide without any phytotoxicity to rice seedlings. From the experiment, the application of pre-emergence pretilachlor through UAV is found to be more effective for timely weed control during early stages in direct-seeded rice, which reduce the labour intensity and drudgery than knapsack application.

Construction and agrochemical efficacy of novel indolo[2,3-b]andrographolide derivatives

To find new pesticide candidates, by using of a natural product andrographolide as the precursor, a series of novel indolo[2,3-b]andrographolide derivatives were semisynthesized by Fischer-indole rearrangement reaction. Their structures were identified by 1H NMR, IR, mp, and HRMS, and the steric configuration of compound Ic was further determined on single-crystal analysis. Compounds If and IIb showed 5.9 and 7.0 times potent acaricidal activity compared to andrographolide against Tetranychus cinnabarinus. Compound Ib displayed 4.2 folds higher aphicidal activity compared to andrographolide against Eriosoma lanigerum. In addition, the pronounced insecticidal activity of compound IIc against Aphis citricola was 4.2 folds of that of andrographolide. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that compound IIb can destroy the epidermis of T. cinnabarinus. These results can provide a basis for future research on botanical agrochemicals.

Putting deep learning in perspective for pest management scientists.

‘Deep learning’ is causing rapid technological changes in many fields of science, and conjectures about its potential for transforming everyone's work and lives is a matter of great debate. Unfortunately, it is all too easy to apply it as a ‘black box’ tool with little consideration of its potential limitations, especially when the data it is being applied to is less than perfect. In this Perspective, I try to put deep learning into a broader mechanistic and historical context by showing how it relates to older forms of artificial intelligence; by providing a general explanation of how it operates; and by exploring some of the challenges involved in its implementation. Examples wherein it has been applied to pest management problems are provided to illustrate how the technology works and the challenges deep learning faces. At least in the near term, its biggest impact on agrochemical development seems likely to come in automating the tedious work involved in assessing agrochemical efficacy, but getting there will require major investments in building large, well‐curated data sets to work from and in providing the expertise required to assess the resulting model predictions in real‐world scenarios. Deep learning may also come to complement the machine learning methodologies already available for use in pesticide discovery and development, but it seems unlikely to supplant them. © 2020 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Efficacy of agrochemicals against Phyllobius oblongus

The contact, residual, and ingestion efficacy of two conventional insecticides was compared with that of another five environmentally friendly agrochemicals in a laboratory for the control of the European snout beetle. Very good efficacy was observed for the conventional product Reldan 22<sup>®</sup> after all types of exposures. The conventional Mospilan<sup>®</sup> 20 SP showed good efficacy after ingestion. SpinTor<sup>®</sup> was very effective 72 h after ingestion and contact, and Siltac<sup>®</sup> EC showed comparable efficacy with conventional insecticides 72 h after ingestion and residual contact. SpinTor<sup>®</sup> and Siltac<sup>®</sup> conform to the principles of organic farming and integrated pest management (IPM) and are able to replace both the tested conventional products in young fruit plantations and nurseries. Pyrethrum PNC – 17, FerrumOil, and Boundary SW did not sufficiently control the beetle.

Agro-Environmental Rationale of Sewage Sludge Processing and Application

Conservation agriculture is becoming a priority for Ukraine as well as for many countries of the world. It is a known fact that high content of heavy metals in the soil impairs fertility and carries the risk of crops translocation. An agroecological effect of obtaining and applying organic-mineral fertilizers has been insufficiently studied so far. The purpose of the work is to determine possibilities to produce new organic-mineral fertilizers based on sewage sludge with enhanced adsorbing properties, to establish their agroecological efficiency. Methods. Field, laboratory-analytical, statistical-mathematical. Results. From the agroecological point of view, the production process of organic-mineral fertilizers based on the sewage sludge of Kharkiv is justified. It allows us to expand functional capabilities of reagents, enhancing adsorbing properties of heavy metals. It is proved the advantage of organic-mineral fertilizers over the traditional ones on chernozem typical. After fertilization, the content of total carbon in the soil increased, the content of humic acids increased by 1,5 – 2,8 times, fulvic acids – by 1,1 – 1,7 times, the total sum of humic substances – by 1,3 – 2,1 times compared with no fertilizer option. It is established that application of organic-mineral fertilizers promotes blocking of heavy metals in soil and prevents translocation to plant. Maximum yields of corn were obtained after the local application of granular organic-mineral fertilizers – the yield increase was 41% compared to the control, after introduction of bulk fertilizers – 32% compared to the control. Profit was $ 23 -36 per hectare. Conclusions. The process of organic-mineral fertilizers production on the basis of sewage sludge in Kharkiv is substantiated from the agro-ecological point of view. Agroecological and agrochemical efficacy of sewage sludge use as compared to organic and mineral fertilizers applied in equivalent doses separately was established on the typical heavy loam chernozem. After introduction of organic-mineral fertilizers based on sewage sludge a significant increase in the concentration of trace elements and heavy metals was found in the black soil but these indicators did not exceed the established maximum permissible concentrations. The implementation of the proposed technology will reduce bioavailability of heavy metals and their mobility in the soil which, in turn, impedes their accumulation in products. It is expected to increase soil fertility, crop yields and obtain environmentally friendly and safe products due to the stable composition of innovative fertilizers.

Impact of (nano)formulations on the distribution and wash-off of copper pesticides and fertilisers applied on citrus leaves

Environmental contextThere are great concerns around current wide usage of copper-based agrochemicals. We compare the fate of nano- and conventional forms of copper, in particular their resistance to wash-off by rain (rainfastness), following their application to citrus leaves. Results showing large differences between the formulations in the amount and forms of copper washed from the leaves provide essential information to optimise agrochemical efficacy while minimising the environmental impact. AbstractThis study compares the rainfastness of nine forms of Cu, including nano and conventional Cu-based fungicide formulations, as well as their salt or bulk equivalents. Rainfastness is the ability to resist wash-off; it is a key property for improving pesticide formulations and for assessing the potential transfer of pesticides to the soil. A new protocol was developed to characterise losses of Cu from treated leaves. It consisted of dipping the leaves in rainwater and then in an acid/ethanol mixture followed by size fractionation. The proportion of Cu lost by wash-off from citrus leaves ranged from <2% (Tribasic, nCuO or Cu(OH)2) up to 93% (CuSO4) of the initial amount of Cu applied. Intermediate Cu losses were observed for formulations with silica (nano)particles (9–14% of applied Cu), Kocide (22%), ChampDP (31%), and a formulation with graphene oxide (47%). Smaller particles generally resulted in less wash-off, possibly due to stronger attachment to the leaf surface, but other factors such as the particle shape and solubility also played an essential role. The retention of nCuO to the leaves was particularly high, and the exact mechanisms involved (e.g. foliar uptake) deserve further work. Most of the Cu was washed off in its ionic form (>74%). Two Cu formulations (one commercial formulation and the formulation with graphene oxide) also showed wash off in significant proportions of Cu (~17%) in the nano-sized fraction. This study provides essential information on the amounts and forms of Cu that may reach the soil after the application of Cu-based agrochemicals. The great diversity in behaviour across the range of formulations considered highlights the need for more systematic research to fully exploit the potential improvements of current agrochemicals through (nano)formulation technologies.

Evaluation of Peanut Agrochemical Efficacy in Situations where Spray Solution Application is Delayed

ABSTRACT The effect of delayed application of spray solutions is poorly understood with respect to efficacy of fungicides, insecticides, inoculants, and plant growth regulators commonly used in peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.). Research was conducted in North Carolina during 2009 and 2010 to determine if tobacco thrips (Frankliniella fusca Hinds) control by acephate; early leaf spot (caused by Cercospora arachidicola Hori) and late leaf spot (caused by Cercosporidium personatum Berk. and Curt.) control by chlorothalonil, prothioconazole plus tebuconazole, pyraclostrobin, and tebuconazole; Sclerotinia blight (caused by Sclerotinia minor Jagger) control by boscalid and fluazinam; and improvement in row visibility by prohexadione calcium were affected by the time interval between solution preparation and application. Performance of the inoculant Bradyrhizobium was also compared when prepared in 25 different sources of water when application was delayed after preparation of solutions. Agrochemicals and prohexadione calcium solutions were prepared the d of application or 3, 6, and 9 d prior to application with all solutions applied on the same d. Similarly, inoculant solutions were prepared the d of application or 4 and 8 d prior to application and applied on the same d. Performance of fungicides, insecticides, inoculant, and prohexadione calcium was not reduced in most instances when left in spray solution up to 8 or 9 d. The magnitude of difference in efficacy was minor when differences were observed.

Access to Regulatory Information on Agrochemicals – To which extent does Regulation 1107/2009 prevail over the EU Transparency Legislation?

Agrochemicals belong to the best tested and evaluated substances in Europe. Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 concerning the placing of plant protection products on the market (“Regulation 1107”) sets forth the requirements regarding quality, safety and efficacy of agrochemicals and provides which documentation has to be submitted in order to obtain regulatory approval. The documents filed with the regulatory authorities contain proprietary information and know-how of the registrants. Accordingly, registrants have a legitimate interest in confidential treatment. Regulation 1107 thus contains specific confidentiality provisions.On the other hand, EU legislation on transparency, in particular the legislation implementing the Aarhus Convention, provides for rights of access to information held by institutions. Recently, a number of legal actions related to the regulatory procedures for agrochemicals have been based on the transparency legislation.This report analyses the relationship between the transparency legislation and Regulation 1107 with regard to rights of access to information provided in the regulatory process for agrochemicals.

Mobility and half-life of bensulide in agricultural soil

Environmentally and economically viable agriculture requires the use of cultivation practices that maximize agrochemical efficacy while minimizing their off-site movement. Bensulide [O, O-diisopropyl S-2-phenylsulfonylaminoethyl phosphorodithioate] is one of the few herbicides from the organophosphate group used for control of weeds that threaten numerous crops. A field study was conducted on a silty-loam soil of 10% slope at Kentucky State University Research Farm to monitor off-site movement and persistence of bensulide in soil. Eighteen plots of 22 × 3.7 m each were separated using metal borders and the soil in six plots was mixed with sewage sludge and yard waste compost (SS-YW) at 15 t acre− 1 on dry weight basis, six plots were mixed with sewage sludge (SS) at 15 t acre− 1, and six unamended plots (NM) were used for comparison purposes. Plots were planted with summer squash, Cucurbita pepo as the test plant. The objectives of this investigation were to: 1) determine the dissipation and half-life (T1/2) of bensulide in soil under three management practices; 2) monitor the concentration of bensulide residues in runoff and infiltration water following natural rainfall; and 3) determine the effect of soil amendments on the transport of NO3, NH4, and P into surface and subsurface water. Half-life (T1/2) values of bensulide in soil were 44.3, 37.6, and 27.1 d in SS-YW, SS, and NM treatments, respectively. Addition of SS-YW and SS to native soil increased water infiltration, lowering runoff water volume and bensulide residues in runoff following natural rainfall events.

Effect of adjuvants on the retention of insecticide spray on cucumber and pea foliage

Spray additives are often used to enhance the efficacy of agrochemicals in the management of pests and diseases in vegetables but their effects can vary widely and are not fully understood This study investigated the effects of adjuvants on the retention of a systemic insecticide spray on two contrasting plant species Adjuvants provided no benefits on easytowet cucumber foliage particularly with high volume application On waterrepellent pea foliage retention of spray was enhanced by adjuvants (P

Surfactants in agrochemicals

This work highlights the physical chemistry of surfactant solutions, detailing a fundamental method of selecting surfactants for agrochemical formulations and delineating how surfactants enhance the biological efficacy of agrochemicals. The unique properties of surfactants that have a major influence on the performance of an agrochemical are summarized.;The book is intended for physical, surface and colloid chemists; biochemists; microbiologists; agronomists; research and development personnel in the pesticide and fertilizer industries; and upper-level undergraduate and graduate students taking chemistry and chemical engineering courses.;College and university bookstores may order five or more copies at a special price which is available on request from Marcel Dekker Inc.

Plant Pathology in Australasia: - a future perspective from the agroindustry point of view.

Agrochemical companies sell fungicides, nematicides, insecticides, herbicides and plant growth regulators, as well as knowledge on how to use them. The agrochemical industry thus provides management systems for crop protection, improved crop productivity and soil conservation. There is a widespread perception that the term 'agrochemical' is exclusively associated with the major manufacturers and suppliers, whereas in fact the agrochemical industry comprises manufacturers, importers, agents and, most importantly, resellers of crop protection products. For control of crop diseases, the agrochemical industry provides not only fungicides, but other chemicals which can be used to eliminate vectors or alternative hosts for pathogens. The industry cooperates with plant pathologists in disease management programs and actively promotes cropping practices which give improved control of diseases. A good example of this has been the use of crop rotations and herbicides to control grasses in pastures and broadleaved crops to reduce the likelihood of losses caused by take-all in wheat. The knowledge on how and when to best use agrochemicals has been generated by plant pathologists, mycologists and agronomists. Some of these are within the agrochemical industry, others are in government departments, universities and other research organisations. The industry needs its products to be used correctly and wisely, for long term benefit to users and itself. It makes use of research by plant pathologists on epidemiology, on the ecology of plant pathogens and on the efficacy of agrochemicals. The agrochemical industry is greatly influenced by advice, given by plant pathologists, to the agricultural industries it can make