BCPC 2007

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A welcome resurgence to the new products session at this year's BCPC Congress saw the presentation of five insecticides or acaricides and two fungicides in the early stages of commercialisation. "Although the frequency of new product introductions may have slowed in recent years, there are emerging signs that innovation is still alive and well in the pest and disease control sector," says Dr Colin Ruscoe, the chairman of British Crop Production Enterprises. The BCPC Congress was held in Glasgow, UK on October 15th-18th.

Most of this year's new active ingredients were presented by the leading multinationals. BASF described its fungicide, orysastrobin, and Nihon Nohyaku's insecticide, metaflumizone, while Dow AgroSciences gave further details of its fungicide, meptyldinocap, and its insecticide, spinetoram. Bayer CropScience and DuPont each presented an insecticide for fruit, vegetables and grapevines: Bayer's spirotetramat and DuPont's chlorantraniliprole. Otsuka presented the only acaricide, cyflumetofen.

BASF's rice fungicide, orysastrobin, was introduced in Japan and South Korea this year as Arashi. It received its first global approval in Japan in 2006 (Agrow No 505, p 21). Four formulations were developed for use in seedling boxes or for water surface applications, including combinations with the insecticide, fipronil. Orysastrobin is effective against the major rice diseases, leaf and panicle blast (Magnaporthe oryzae) and sheath blight (Thanatephorus cucumeris).

"Dow's insecticide, spinetoram, will be sold as a 25% water-dispersible granule formulation, Delegate, for use on pome and stone fruit, and as a 120 g/litre suspension concentrate, Radiant, for grapevines and vegetables"

Dow Agrosciences' technical bulletin on spinetoram, published in late 2006

Orysastrobin is the fourth strobilurin fungicide to be developed by BASF, following the introduction of kresoxim-methyl, pyraclostrobin and dimoxystrobin (with Shionogi). Like the other strobilurins, orysastrobin acts on mitochondrial respiration. The fungicide has protective, curative, translaminar and systemic properties, BASF notes. It therefore has a broad and flexible application window.

Dow's meptyldinocap is a single-isomer version of the established fungicide/acaricide, dinocap. Meptyldinocap received its first approvals in Romania, Italy and the UK earlier this year (Agrow No 520, p 18), with a recent registration in Chile. Approval decisions are pending elsewhere in Europe and in Africa and India. A 350 g/litre emulsifiable concentrate formulation is to be marketed under the Karathane brand.

Meptyldinocap has been developed primarily for the control of grapevine powdery mildew (Uncinula necator), but it is also intended for use on cucurbits and strawberries. In trials, meptyldinocap provided equally good season-long control of powdery mildew on these crops as dinocap, Dow notes. Karathane was applied at 0.6 litre/ha. Meptyldinocap provides protectant, curative and eradicant activity. It has a unique mode of action, with no resistance after more than 40 years of dinocap use.

Dow's insecticide, spinetoram, is a second-generation spinosyn product from the same family as its established insecticide, spinosad. Spinetoram received its first approval in New Zealand in August (Agrow No 526, p 21), with US approval in October (see this issue, p xx). The company expects to have received registrations in Canada and Mexico by mid-2008. A submission for the ai's inclusion on Annex I of the EU agrochemical registration Directive was due to be made by the end of October. EU member state submissions are expected to start in 2008.

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Spinetoram will be sold as a 25% water-dispersible granule formulation, Delegate, for use on pome and stone fruit, and as a 120 g/litre suspension concentrate, Radiant, for grapevines and vegetables.

Spinetoram provides greater activity, longer residual control and a broader pest spectrum than spinosad, while maintaining its favourable health and environmental profile, Dow says. Spinetoram controls key pome and stone fruit pests, such as codling moths (Cydia pomonella), oriental fruit moths (C molesta) and pear psyllids (Psylla spp). It is active against armyworms (Spodoptera spp) and most other lepidopteran pests on vegetables, along with thrips and leafminers.

Metaflumizone was discovered by Nihon Nohyaku and is being co-developed globally with BASF. The ai received its first global approval in Colombia last year and has since been registered in Austria, Germany and Indonesia (Agrow No 521, p 18). It is being sold under the Alverde and Verismo brands as a 240 g/litre suspension concentrate. BASF recently received US approval for a metaflumizone-based fire-ant bait, Siesta, with crop registrations expected in the fourth quarter of 2007. Approvals in other countries are expected between 2007 and 2010.

The insecticide provides a broad spectrum of activity against lepidopteran, coleopteran and hemipteran pests. Major lepidopteran pests controlled include armyworms and diamondback moths (Plutella xylostella). Metaflumizone also controls Colorado potato beetles (Leptinotarsa decemlineata), corn rootworms (Diabrotica spp), flea beetles and Lygus spp bugs.

"Bayer's spirotetramat is being developed worldwide under the Movento brand. A US registration decision for use on citrus, pome and stone fruit, grapevines, tree nuts, vegetables and hops has been scheduled for 2008"

Pollinating of cucumbers in the greenhouse at the Nunhems Research Center (NL) Photo: Bayer Crop Science

Metaflumizone is a semicarbazone insecticide, which acts by blocking voltage-dependent sodium channels in insects. The only other insecticide with this mode of action is DuPont's indoxacarb. The industry's Insecticide Resistance Action Committee has placed the two insecticides in separate sub-groups based on differences in metabolic profile and chemical structure, BASF points out.

Bayer's spirotetramat is being developed worldwide under the Movento brand. A US registration decision for use on citrus, pome and stone fruit, grapevines, tree nuts, vegetables and hops has been scheduled for 2008 (Agrow No 521, p 11). It is being developed as a 240 g/litre suspension concentrate. A combination of spirotetramat at 120 g/litre and imidacloprid at 360 g/litre is being developed in Brazil for use on cotton, soybeans and vegetables.

Spirotetramat has "outstanding" performance against sucking insect pests, Bayer says. It is effective against many species of whiteflies, aphids, scales, mealybugs, psyllids and certain thrips. Suppression of some mites has also been observed. Spirotetramat is a tetramic acid derivative from the same family as Bayer's insecticide/acaricides, spirodiclofen and spiromesifen (Agrow passim). It acts as a lipid biosynthesis inhibitor, with particular activity against juvenile insect stages. The insecticide is systemic via phloem and xylem.

DuPont has trade-marked chlorantraniliprole as Rynaxypyr. The insecticide received its first global approval in the Philippines this year, as Prevathon (Agrow No 527, p 25). The company is developing the insecticide for use worldwide under the Altacor and Coragen brands. Altacor is a 200 g/litre suspension concentrate formulation and Coragen is a 35% water-dispersible granule. Registrations in the US and some other markets are expected next year.

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DuPont's BCPC presentation focused on the use of chlorantraniliprole in Europe, where development is focused on foliar applications in top fruit, vegetables, grapevines and potatoes. Rates of 10-60 g ai/ha are effective against a range of lepidopteran pests such as codling moths, oriental fruit moths, corn borers (Ostrinia nubilalis) and armyworms. It also controls some coleopteran, dipteran and isopteran pests.

Chlorantraniliprole is primarily active on chewing insects by ingestion, with secondary contact action. It is an anthranilic diamide insecticide, which acts by inhibiting ryanodine receptors in insects. Insect ryanodine receptors are far more sensitive than mammalian ones, which explains the ai's "outstanding profile of mammalian toxicity", DuPont says.

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Otsuka is developing its acaricide, cyflumetofen, as a 200 g/litre suspension concentrate formulation for use worldwide. It expects to gain Japanese approval, as Danisaraba, this month and is preparing registration applications for South America, the EU and some other Asian countries (Agrow No 529, p 22). The product is effective against Tetranychus spp and Panonychus spp mites at 100-800 g ai/ha on fruit trees, vegetables, tea and ornamentals.

Cyflumetofen is active against all developmental stages of mites, but more so against larvae than adults. It has a partial effect against eggs, but those that hatch die shortly after, the company says. The acaricide has "excellent efficacy and long persistence", with no phytotoxicity observed at twice the usual field rates. Cyflumetofen comes from a new class of acylacetonitrile acaricides, with the mode of action yet to be determined. No cross-resistance to other acaricides has been observed.

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