HUP0900407A2 - Plant conditioning composition of natural origin and process for using it - Google Patents

Description

ű oQ c^·

704343/DE P0900407

September 2010

6.7./' .. ..Ll

COPY _of

S.B.G. Sie..'·;:

Patent Attorney's Office.....

H-1062 Budapest, Andrássy Street 113.

Phone: 461-1000, Fax: 461-1099

Natural plant conditioning composition and method for its use

The subject of the invention is a naturally derived, environmentally friendly plant conditioning composition and a method for its application for the protection of useful plants, especially peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, grapes and pome fruits, against pests.

It is known that the effectiveness of agriculture can be greatly reduced by insect pests attacking crops, and by viral, bacterial and fungal diseases. In order to increase the desired yield, preparations containing synthetically produced chemical compounds as active ingredients have been increasingly used in the last century, such as chlorinated hydrocarbons (DDT, HCH), organophosphorus esters, compounds containing sulfur and phosphorus, and even toxic heavy metals (Bi, Hg, TI), which have proven to be effective as pesticides, which initially really improved crop yields by leaps and bounds. Therefore, a separate industry is developing for the production of pesticide active ingredients and preparations containing various active ingredients, and which are increasingly more effective and advanced from various aspects.

Over the years, especially in recent times, it has become increasingly obvious that residues and decomposition products in crops intended for animal feed and human consumption can cause serious health damage, therefore, increased attention must be paid to monitoring residues, determining permissible limits, and efforts must be made to develop suitable analytical and biological methods. The situation has been aggravated by the fact that the emergence of pest resistance has made it necessary to use increasingly larger doses, and competition has developed between pesticide manufacturers to develop and market newer, more effective chemical compounds.

704343/DE

September 2010

Some of these chemicals accumulate in plants, and their consumption by humans and animals poses serious health risks, as they can trigger serious disease processes.

As a consequence of the above effects, the sale of female contraceptives containing numerous chemical compounds was banned in several countries.

There have also been attempts at other solutions, for example, according to patent description HU 223 266, an attempt was made to induce resistance to viruses in plants by biotechnology, and according to patent description HU 220 582, a new strain of the bacterial species Pseudomonas chlororaphis was used as an active component for protection against plant diseases.

In the context of increasing food security concerns, there has been an increased demand for so-called organic farming and protection, which strictly requires the registration of soil, propagation materials, crop-enhancing and protection materials and their application to be monitored. The crops obtained in this way can be sold at a higher market value, which can offset the disadvantages of lower yields due to the abandonment of synthetic products.

It is also known that some plant species are able to produce natural substances that provide protection against various pests. One such well-known plant is the white willow (Salix alba) of the Salicaceae family, which was noticed by American settlers who were also involved in basket weaving, after the soaking of the canes, which increased their flexibility, turned out to be effective against certain plant pests (I. wintergreen oil, betula oil). The main active ingredient was identified as the methyl ester of salicylic acid, I.: [1] Organic Molecules in Action, Goodman, Morehouse, Gordon and Breach, 1973; [2] British Parmaceutical Codex 1911: METHYLIS SALICYLAS; [3] FAO Nutrition Meetings Report Series No. 44A WHO/Food Add./68.33, Toxicological Evaluation of Same Flavouring Substences and Non-Nutritive Sweeting Agents.

It should be noted here that patent specifications HU 214 217 and HU 207 855 apply to pesticide preparations containing chemically synthesized salicylic acid derivatives. However, these solutions are essentially

704343/DE

September 2010. Traditional chemical pesticide preparations containing synthetically produced active ingredients.

Similarly to the knowledge on willows, it is also known that the decoction of the leaves of certain nettles (Urticaceae) can be used for spraying garden plants. The main active ingredients of the extract are: formic acid, tannins, resinous nettle venom, etc. Among other things, preparations containing nettle are referred to in, for example, patent descriptions HU 226 041 and HU 225 901, which recommend the use of these preparations in a limited area of application, in the cultivation of a particular plant species, e.g. in soil preparation.

It is also a well-known fact that the cultivation of primary crops is at increased risk of fungal and viral plant diseases, as the humid, elevated temperature environment of greenhouses is particularly favorable for their spread. Plants that are particularly susceptible to such diseases include peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, grapes and apples, many of which are also grown in greenhouses.

The aim of the invention is to find a solution to the problems described without the disadvantages outlined above.

The invention is based on the recognition that the desired effect cannot necessarily be achieved by destroying fungi and viruses, but rather by increasing the plant's resistance with substances that are not harmful to human and animal health and are harmless to the environment, i.e. a kind of prevention must be pursued; however, this requires agents that go beyond the usual nutrient supply and improve the condition of the plant.

However, the disadvantage associated with known natural active ingredients is that they are usually not sufficiently effective.

During our experiments to enhance the effect of natural plant active ingredients and to examine their application possibilities, we surprisingly found that the effect of natural protective substances of certain plants can be dramatically increased by supplementing them with natural protective substances of other, specific plant species, when synergism is created in terms of effectiveness, i.e., a better effect can be achieved through joint application than the effect achieved when the plant active ingredients are applied separately in time, one after the other.

704343/DE

September 2010

During our experiments, we found that if, in addition to the already known effective willows (Salicaceae), we use a mixture of water-based extracts of poplars (Salicaceae), walnuts (Junglandaceae) and nettles (Urticaceae), e.g. for plant conditioning - i.e. protective - spraying of peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, grapes and apples, the effect can be extremely effective, while at the same time the treatment also meets the environmentally friendly and chemical-free protection conditions of so-called organic production.

During the examination of the treated plant samples, we found that the fact that infections can more difficultly penetrate the cuticle due to the observed thickening of the epidermis layer may also play an important role in the increased resistance to plant pests, so the composition according to the invention can also raise the physiological characteristics and resistance of the plant to a higher level.

To briefly characterize the plant active ingredients we examined, we present the members of the plant families, the usable plant parts, and the list of essential and known components of the extracts in the following summary:

a/ Willows (Salicaceae): Salix alba (white willow)

Salix fragilis (weak willow)

Salix triandra (almond-leaved willow)

Usable plant parts: aqueous extract of bark, shoots, leaves; contents: salicin, glycosides, catechin tannic acid, resin;

bl Poplar family (Salicaceae): Populus nigra (black poplar)

Populus alba (white poplar)

Populus robusta (giant poplar)

Usable plant parts: aqueous extract of fresh leaves and flower buds; contents: Populi gemma, essential oils, resin, acids;

cl Walnuts (Junglandaceae): Junglands regia (common walnut)

Junglands germanica (Alpine walnut)

Usable plant parts: leaves and green nuts and their fruit skin (nut husk); content: tannic acid; gallic acid, ellagic acid,

704343/DE

September 2010 inositol, junglone bitter, bitter substance, jungglandin alkaloid;

dl Nettle family (Urticaceae): Urtica dioica (stinging nettle, stinging nettle) Usable plant parts: leaf drug (Urtica folium);

contents: tannins, resin (nettle venom), glucosides, formic acid, histamine, glucokinin.

During our experiments, we found that the mixture of aqueous extracts of plants marked a/ - dl proved to be most effective when the mixture used contained at least 50% of the a/ and bZ type extracts, and an almost equal, but at least 10 - 10% amount of the cl and dl extracts was present in the finished, undiluted spray solution, calculated on its total amount.

In the case of the solution according to the invention, the concentration of each extract component (aZ-dZ) used is characterized by the fact that a suitable extract contains an extract of at least 20% by weight of plant parts and at most 80% by weight of water, where any dried material (e.g. bark, rind) must be taken into account with a threefold multiplier (e.g. 1 kg of dried material corresponds to 3 kg of fresh plant parts).

Based on the above, the subject of the invention is a plant conditioning composition of natural origin and its use for the protection of useful plants, mainly peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, grapes and pome fruits against pests. The composition is characterized in that it contains combined aqueous extracts of four plant species, namely a/ willows (Salicaceae), bZ poplars (Salicaceae), c/ walnuts (Junglandaceae) and d/ nettles (Urticaceae), in such a way that the combined extracts aZ and bZ account for at least 50% by weight of the spray solution, the extracts cZ and dZ are each at least 10-40% by weight, but together no more than 50% by weight, where the extracts of each plant species are made from at least 20% by weight of plant parts and no more than 80% by weight of water. The composition according to the invention may optionally contain additives and/or auxiliaries known per se.

During the application according to the invention, the composition is used at the point of use as an aqueous spray solution at a dilution of 0.1 - 5%, preferably 0.4 - 2%.

704343/DE

September 2010

The compositions and the implementation of the use according to the invention are illustrated in more detail in the following typical examples, without limiting the invention to the examples.

Example 1:

In order to produce a plant conditioning preparation of natural origin, an aqueous extract is prepared from suitable plant parts of a/ willow family (Salicaceae), b/ poplar family (Salicaceae), c/ walnut family (Junglandaceae), and d/ nettle family (Urticaceae), which is preferably carried out in a duplicator equipped with a heating mantle and a mixer in the following manner:

a/ From the willow family (Salicaceae), 25 parts by weight of the shredded bark and leafy shoots of the white willow (Salix alba) are weighed into an extraction vessel with dense metal mesh side walls and suspended in a mixing vessel containing 75 parts by weight of water heated to 50°C in such a way that the vessel containing the shreds can be moved up and down by means of a screw suspension. The vessel is lifted every 5-10 minutes and lowered back into the dissolving water kept in motion by stirring, the dissolution process is continued for 2 hours, then the vessel containing the plant parts is finally lifted out of the vessel and the aqueous phase is drained through a filter into a storage vessel.

b/ From the poplar family (Salicaceae), 8 parts by weight of a mixture of dried leaves and flower buds of white poplar (Populus alba) and black poplar (Populus nigra) are measured into the extraction vessel with metal mesh side walls, and, proceeding in a similar manner to that given in point a/, 76 parts by weight of an aqueous extract made with water heated to a temperature of 65°C is prepared and filtered and poured into a separate storage container.

c/ 20 parts by weight of common walnut (Junglands regia) leaves and green walnuts are placed in the extraction vessel and, proceeding in a manner similar to that described in point a/, an aqueous extract is prepared with 80 parts by weight of water heated to 60°C and filtered and poured into a separate storage container.

d/ We measure 25 parts by weight of the powder made from fresh leaves and stems of stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) into the mesh extraction vessel and, proceeding in a manner similar to that described in point a/, we prepare an aqueous extract made from 70 parts by weight of water heated to 75°C and filter it and pour it into a separate storage container.

704343/DE

September 2010

To prepare a natural plant conditioning product for tomato (Solanum tuberosum) Mobil, Kecskeméti jubileum varieties, we prepare the following spray solution:

kg of aqueous willow extract prepared according to point a, 10 kg of poplar extract prepared according to point b, 15 kg of walnut extract prepared according to point c and 15 kg of nettle extract prepared according to point dl are mixed together and sprayed with a 0.4% diluted solution of this preparation with water

In the experimental plot, tomato seeds with a germination capacity of 96% were planted at a seed density of 5 pcs/m (03.22.), after the emergence date (04.03.), after transplantation (05.03) we applied a spraying volume of 300 l/ha with repetitions every 15 days. During the experiments, in addition to the untreated plots that provided the control, we also applied spraying with the spray solution containing only component a/, poplar extract and the spray solution with the a/ + b/ + c/ + dl component composition according to the invention.

In the untreated plot, a strong infection pressure was observed with alternaria (Alternaria porri f.sp solani), in the plots treated with the spray solution containing only component a/, the level of alternaria infection was reduced, in the plots treated with the spray solution containing a/ + b/ + c/ + dl according to the invention, the level of alternaria infection was significantly reduced and the treatment showed a protective effect against Pfytophtora infestans Septoria lycopersici and Xantomonas campestri pv. vesicatoria diseases as well. After the first treatment, the spots on the diseased stems died, necrotized, and then fell out of the leaf blade. After the second treatment, the stems started to grow visibly, and no leaf death occurred. Compared to the control, the tested stand was considered healthy, and no phytotoxic effect was observed.

Example 2:

Proceeding in a similar manner to Example 1, in order to produce a plant conditioning preparation of natural origin, a preparation consisting of a mixture of 70 kg a/ + 5 kg b/ + 12 kg c/ + 13 kg d/ from the extracts of willows of type a/, poplars of type b/, walnuts of type c/ and nettles of type dl is prepared. Pritamin peppers (Capsicum annum) are sprayed with a 0.8% aqueous solution of this.

704343/DE

September 2010

We also observe the experimental plots of the Szentesi Paz variety, the untreated control plots and the plots treated with only component a/ (willow extract) spraying.

The plots were established with seeds with a germination capacity of 98% at a seed density of 5 pcs/m (04.24.), the emergence date can be measured from 05.03. The treatment was carried out continuously every 15 days from 05.15 with a dose of 400 l/ha. Due to the varying temperature and time, after flowering, 0.05% of the plants were affected by tobacco mosaic virus, 0.08% by Stolbur mycoplasma, and later on the untreated crops by bacterial diseases (Pseudomonas syringae var. capsici). The preparation containing component a/ reduced the infection caused by viruses compared to the control, the viral infection was significantly reduced in the plots treated with the spray solution of component a/ + b/ + c/ + d/ according to the invention, the treatment performed at the time of the appearance of the first flower buds did not result in the primary bacterial ((Pseudomonas) infection. As a result of the subsequent treatments, the stems started to grow visibly, no leaf death occurred after that, the emerging fruit buds were healthy, and no phytotoxic effect was observed.

Example 3:

In a similar manner to Example 1, in order to produce a plant conditioning composition of natural origin, a preparation consisting of a mixture of extracts of type a/ willows, type b/ poplars, type c/ walnuts and type dl nettles is prepared: 70 kg a/ + 10 kg b/ + 10 kg cl + 10 kg d/. The experimental plots of potato (Solanum tuberosum) candidate varieties Gülbaba and Kisvárdai rose are sprayed with a 1.0% aqueous solution of this, and the untreated control plots and the plots treated with only component a/ + b/ (willow + poplar extract) are observed.

Potatoes have been grown and bred in the experimental area for years, taking into account crop rotation and regulations. The area has a good nutrient supply, and nutrients are replenished with drip irrigation.

704343/DE

September 2010, due to changing temperatures and weather, 0.85% of potato blight (Phytophtora infestans) was observed on some plants after flowering.

The plots were established with a density of 5 pcs/m, 100% germination potatoes, planted 15 cm deep, after planting (04.22.), germination could be measured from 05.03. The treatment was carried out continuously from 05.15, every 15 days with a dose of 400 l/ha. The preparation containing components a/ + b/ reduced the extent of alternaria / Alternaria porri f.sp solani/ infection compared to the untreated one under strong infection pressure, but the preparation with components a/ + b + c/ + d/ according to the invention showed a significantly greater protective effect against Phytophtora infestans Ervinia cartovovora var. atroseptica, Corinebacterium sepedonicum diseases. After the first treatment, the spots on the diseased stems died, necrotized, and then fell out of the leaf blade. After the second treatment, the stems visibly started to grow, and leaf death did not occur. Compared to the untreated one, it significantly reduced or made the tested stock unmeasurable from a plant health point of view. No phytotoxic effect occurred, the so-called Elisa test used for virus detection detected potato virus Y in 1 out of 20 tested tubers, so the seed tuber produced with this technology was considered virus-free and suitable for propagation.

Example 4:

We proceed in a similar manner to Examples 1 and 3. In order to produce a plant conditioning composition of natural origin, we prepare a composition consisting of a mixture of: 70 kg a/ + 10 kg b/ + 10 kg c/ + 10 kg d/ from the extract of willows of type a/, poplars of type b/, walnuts of type cl and nettles of type d/, and spray the experimental plots of cucumber (Cucumis sativus) with a 1.5% aqueous solution thereof. We also observe the untreated control and the plots treated with spraying only component a/ + bl (willow + poplar extract). In the usual manner, with spraying every 15 days, at a dose of 400 l/ha, the a/ + b/ type preparation, under strong infection pressure, reduced the extent of alternaria /Alternaria porri f.sp solani/ infection compared to untreated, while the a/ + bl + cl + d/ composition of the invention significantly

704343/DE

September 2010. showed a significantly greater protective effect. In the case of the so-called cucumber wilt (Didimella aplanata), we examined the effectiveness of the a/, a b/, a cl and d/ aqueous extracts separately, and we were able to establish that none of the extracts, when used alone, shows as much effectiveness as the a/ + b/ + cl + d/ preparation according to the invention, which can be used with very good results against this damaging cucumber disease.

Example 5:

In a similar manner to Example 1, in order to produce a plant conditioning composition of natural origin, a composition consisting of a mixture of 60 kg aZ + 10 kg bZ + 15 kg cZ + 15 kg dZ components is prepared from the extract of aZ type willows, bZ type poplars, cZ type walnuts and dZ type nettle. A 0.4% aqueous solution of this is sprayed on a sylvoz cultivated plantation of the grape variety Furmint (Vitis vinifera). Efuzin 500 FW, 1 liter/ha spraying was used as a comparative treatment. The condition of the vineyard was evaluated at the beginning of flowering (05.25), at the end of flowering and the beginning of berry formation (06.15), and during intensive shoot growth and before wilting (07.03). We could establish that the amount of precipitation in the experimental area in April and June did not reach 20 mm, but the 42 mm of rain in May resulted in a moderate infection of grapevine powdery mildew (Uncinula necator) and downy mildew (Plasmopara viticola) despite the drought. The meteorological data and the infection periods were registered by the Metos type forecasting device placed in the area. The device indicated 5 infections during the period of intensive shoot growth, of which 2 were of a strong, 2 of a medium, and 1 of a weak degree. The degree of infection appeared to be moderate during the first treatment, with irregular spots appearing on the leaves, which died, necrotized, and then fell off the leaf blade after the first treatment. The degree of infection of the leaves was 50-73% in the case of the untreated control, 15-23% in the case of Efuzin 500 WF, and 8-12% in the case of the preparation prepared by the method according to the invention, and no phytotoxic effect was observed.

704343/DE

September 2010

Example 6:

In a similar manner to Example 1, in order to produce a plant conditioning preparation of natural origin, a preparation consisting of a mixture of 60 kg a/ + 10 kg b/ + 15 kg c/ + 15 kg d/ components is prepared from the extracts of willows of type a/, poplars of type b/, walnuts of type c/ and nettles of type d/. The apple plantation of the /Malus domesticus/ Gala variety is sprayed with a 0.4% aqueous solution of this, as a comparative treatment, in addition to the untreated control, Efuzin 500 FW, 1 liter/ha preparation was used. The dates of the treatments were 05.15., 05.25. and 06.20., the amount of spray solution was 600 l/ha. The meteorological data and the infection periods were registered by a Metos type automatic scab forecasting device placed in the neighboring area. The device indicated 6 infections during the period of intensive shoot growth, of which 2 were severe, 2 were moderate, 2 were weak, and at the time of the first treatment it was moderate.

The first part of the studied period was favorable for Venturia scab, due to the amount of precipitation. This was combined with cool weather, high humidity, followed by a period of high air dryness. However, the first infections occurred, as irregular dark spots appeared on the leaves. By the end of the study, the weather conditions were no longer favorable for the life of the fungus. The degree of scab (Venturia ineqvalis) infection and the degree of apple powdery mildew (Podosphaera leucotrichal) infection were measured as a percentage of leaf crown coverage: in the case of untreated control, it was 55% at the first treatment, 72% at the second treatment, in the case of Efuzin 500 WF after the first treatment, 22% after the second treatment, while after treatments with the composition according to the invention it was 20% and 9%, respectively.

Claims (8)

704343/DE 12 ........... September 2010 Patent claims: 1. A plant conditioning composition of natural origin for the protection of useful plants, mainly peppers, tomatoes, grapes and pome fruits, against pests, characterized in that the composition - optionally together with one or more additives and/or auxiliaries known per se - contains aqueous extracts of the following four plant species: a/willows (Salicaceae), b/poplars (Salicaceae), cZ walnuts (Junglandaceae) and dZ nettles (Urticaceae), in such a way that the combined extract of components aZ and bZ constitutes at least 50% by weight of the spray liquid, the extract of components cZ and dZ constitutes at least 10-40% by weight each, but not more than 50% by weight together, and the extracts of the individual plant species are derived from an extract of at least 20% by weight of plant parts with at most 80% by weight of water. 2. The composition according to claim 1, characterized in that the extract of one or more plant species constituting the component is derived from the extraction of a fresh plant. 3. The composition according to claim 1, characterized in that the extract of one or more plant species constituting the component is derived from the extraction of dried plant material, wherein the amount (weight) of the extracted dried plant material is at least one third of the amount (weight) of the corresponding fresh plant material. 4. The composition according to claim 1, characterized in that the combined/combined extract of components a/ and bZ in the composition is at least 60% by weight of the combined aZ + b/ + c/ + dZ composition. 5. The composition according to claim 1, characterized in that the nut extract present as the cZ component is contained in an amount of at least 30% by weight of the combined aZ + bZ + cZ + dZ composition. 704343/DE 13 ........... September 2010 6/ The composition according to claim 1, characterized in that the nettle extract present as component d/ is contained in an amount of at least 30% in the combined composition a/ + b/ + c/ + d/. 7. Use of a plant conditioning composition according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that the composition is applied at the site of use as an aqueous spray solution at a dilution of 0.1 - 5%. 8. Use according to claim 7, characterized in that the composition is applied at the point of use as an aqueous spray solution at a dilution of 0.4 - 2%. The authorized person: Katalin Derzsi is a patent attorney at the S.B.G &pf Patent Attorneys' Office H-106&®udapest Andrassy út 113. Tel. *1-10'1. ^.40,-.099