WO2009048345A1

WO2009048345A1 - Molluscicide

Info

Publication number: WO2009048345A1
Application number: PCT/PL2008/000069
Authority: WO
Inventors: Janusz Swietoslawski
Original assignee: Zuph 'best Pet'
Priority date: 2007-10-09
Filing date: 2008-09-25
Publication date: 2009-04-16
Also published as: PL383503A1; UA39918U

Abstract

The invention relates to a molluscicide having a form of food bait, in particular the molluscicide for combating slugs. The molluscicide comprises: a) iron powders and/or iron alloys powders; b) at least one complexing agent; and c) neutral carrier edible for molluscs. Preferred complexing agents are ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and/or salts thereof and/or mixtures thereof with other, particularly biodegradable, complexing agents.

Description

MOLLUSCICIDE

The present invention relates to a molluscicide having a form of food bait, in particular the molluscicide for combating slugs.

Background of the invention

Molluscs plentifulness is smaller only than plentifulness of arthropoda. Among many species of land snails (Gastropoda, Pulmonata, Stylommatophora) only a few constitutes plant pests. The most of these animals plays an important role in decomposition and circulation of organic material in natural environment and some of them are protected species.

In horticultural cultures one may meet snails with shells and so called slugs, in which the shell is reduced as a result of evolution process and exists solely as a residual organ in a dorsal shell. Snails with shells in European climate have no importance as devastators of cultivated plants pests. Some of them, among other Roman snail (Helix pomatia), are able to locally cause plants damages, which are however sporadic accidents without greater importance in horticultural production. Very often appearance of snails results from neighbourhood of natural habitation areas of theses species. Contrary to them slugs are able to cause significant looses in cultures of horticultural plants. Due to the night regimen, slugs are not initially observed and damages they cause are often mistakenly associated to other pests. Harmfulness of slugs depends mainly on moisture and temperature of environment, type and quantity of feed and habitation conditions. Since for growing, these species need high moisture of at least 90 % they get out to feed themselves from their day hiding places at evening or during rainy weather. Substantial activity of these species is observed in temperatures in between 10 to 20 ⁰C. They do not tolerate high temperatures (30-35⁰C) and low temperatures (below -3°C). In the absence of layer of snow, strong frost may largely reduce the population. The most exposed to the frost are eggs, and to a smaller degree young and grown up animals, which may move to deeper layers of the ground. Slugs cause damages during the whole season of vegetation, which are the greatest in the spring, especially in months with large quantity of rainfalls and relatively low temperature. In such conditions, sprouting or freshly planted plants, still having poor growths, die as a result of slugs feeding. Slugs are pests of all species of vegetables, berry-type plants (strawberries, wild strawberries, etc.), decorative plants and herbs. They attack almost all species of cultivable plants, however the greatest damages are observed for rapeseed (especially Brassica napus var. arvensis f. biennis), winter wheat, vegetables and flowers. They affect all plants organs, however most willingly they feed on sprouting seeds, seedlings and fresh leaves. Plants of rapeseed are mainly destroyed during the first few days after germination. Signs of their feeding activity appear as irregularly gnawed out holes in leaf blade or holes in fruits and vegetable roots. In places of feeding and on the soil, snails make glittery traces of dry mucus. Snails cut off a hypocotyl and eat tissues of seed leafs causing a total destruction of seedlings. In the course of growing of consecutive leaves holes are gnawed out in fresh leaves, and some of leaves may be completely eaten. In the later stages of plants growing damages are often compensated by intensive growth of plants. Snails may also be met in vegetables stores. These pests are polyphagous animals, what means that they feed by animal as well as vegetable nutrition.

The group of commonly observed snails that are problematic e.g. in gardens, greenhouses and farmlands includes Helix aspersa, Helix nemoralis, Cepaea nemoralis, Zonitoides arboreus, Theba pisana, Subolina octona, Helicella spp., Cepaea spp, Deroceras reticulatum, Deroceras leave, Umax poiήeri, Milax gagates, Anon spp, Arion subfucus, Arion circumscriptus, Arion hortensis, Arion rufus, Arion ater, Arion lusitanicus, Umax maximus, Lflavus, Umax glavus, Umax tenellus, Agriolimax reticulatis, and Ariolimax columbianus.

From the group above, grey garden slug (Deroceras reticulatum) and Spanish slug (Arion lusitanicus) may be especially mentioned.

The table below presents exemplary molluscicides which are employed for combating snails. Table 1 Prior art molluscicides

The majority of molluscicides listed in Table 1 are fabricated in form of granulated baits which may be scattered over the whole plantation or in the specified centres of snails' occurrence, not more frequently than 1-2 times per season. Treatment operations should be performed in the evening, before warm and sultry nights and rainless sunny days. Single usage of molluscicides does not enable for complete combating snails, as the pests may simultaneously exists in different phases of growing.

Use of methiocarb as an active molluscicide agent against snails requires application of 14-days waiting period for cultivable plants. Baits comprising metaldehyde may be harmful to other mammals, in particular for dogs. Additionally during storage, these agents give off vapours of acetic aldehyde, therefore they need to be stored in separated storages, remote from rodenticides.

One of the most safe and ecological method for combating snails involves using iron salts or iron chelate (Henderson, et al. Crop Protection, 9, 131-134, 1990; publications WO 89/01287, US 5,437,870, EP 1752043, WO 03/069996, WO 03/079781 , US 2007/0148203, WO 97/26789, WO 2004/075634, PL 195194). However salts in a pure form (for example ferrous phosphate) or chelates (for example [Fe(OH)EDTA]Ca) are relatively expensive.

Polish patent specification PL 195194 discloses molluscicide containing ethylenediaminesuccinic acid (EDDS) together with iron compounds, among which deoxidized elementary iron was surprisingly quoted.though it is not a compound of iron. Moreover the description and examples provide no particulars of such an embodiment of this invention. The object of the present invention is to provide molluscicide having form of food bait, in particular molluscicide for combating slugs which would be more efficient and economically reasonable than known molluscicide compositions, harmless to other animals and free of unwanted side-effects.

The inventors unexpectedly discovered a food bait molluscicide, whose composition is different from that of the molluscicides known from the prior art, which displays excellent efficiency in combating molluscs, and in particular in combating slugs.

Summary of the invention

According to the present invention there is provided molluscicide having a form of food bait and comprising: a) iron powders and/or iron alloys powders; b) at least one complexing agent; and c) neutral carrier edible for molluscs.

Preferred iron powders and/or iron alloys powders are chosen from a group comprising carbonyl iron (for example Ferronyl Iron^®), sponge iron obtained by reduction in solid phase (for example SC 100.26), sprayed iron forms prepared by a quick solidification of melted iron (for example ASC 100.29), electrolytic powders, alloy powders or iron coated with other metals and/or non-metals such as carbon, phosphor or phosphates (for example PNC 60), mixtures of iron powders with magnetite, iron powders coated with fats or paraffin.

Preferred complexing agents are chosen from a group comprising known organic and inorganic substances forming a complex with Fe(II) and/or Fe (III) ions, such as ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and salts thereof, hydrated disodium versenate, N- hexamethyllenediaminetetraacetic acid (HDTA) and salts thereof, methylglycinediacetic acid (MGDA) and salts thereof, diethylenetriaminepenta-acetic acid (DTPA) and salts thereof, hydroxy-2-ethylenediaminetriacetic acid (HEEDTA) and salts thereof, ethylenediamine-N.N'-disuccinic acid (EDDS) and salts thereof, glutamic acid diacetic acid (GLDA) and salts thereof, and mixtures thereof. More preferably the complexing compound is EDTA and/or salts thereof and/or mixtures thereof with other, particularly biodegradable, complexing agents.

Preferred carrier edible for molluscs is a composition of substances of vegetable and/or animal origin such as a mixture of wheaten grinding grain, dried vegetables and porky greaves, a mixture of wheaten bruised grain and bone meal, a mixture of corn bruised grinding, wheaten grinding grain, sugar and egg powder and/or plant grains. Particularly the carrier may have form of plant seeds as the molluscicide according to the invention may have a form of condiment for seeds used alone or in combination with other plant protection agents appropriate for mordanting seeds, such as seeds of rapeseed.

The molluscicide according to the present invention may additionally and advantageously comprise at least one substance against mold growth such as IPBC, DCOIT, sorbic acid or sodium benzoate. The molluscicide according to the present invention may also comprise dyes and pigments (such as copper phthalocyanine), safety additive agents (e.g. Bitrex®), attractants (such as metaldehyde or banana flavour), agents improving rain-resistance of granules and/or other agents.

Detailed description of the invention

The invention is illustrated by means of examples that should not however be considered as exhaustive or limiting the scope of its applicability.

Pulverized form ASC 100.29 or ASC 200 produced by Hoganas AB (Sweden), having bulk density of amounting respectively 2.96 and 2.91 kg/dm³ and sizes listed in Table 2 below were employed in Examples I and II, while in Example III carbonyl iron Ferronyl Iron^® produced by ISP was used. Table 2

Example I

In granulator for pellets granulates A and B were prepared in form of pellets of diameter 3 mm and the compositions presented in Table 1.1.

Table 1.1 Molluscicide compositions:

A - according to the invention; B - comparative

The efficiency of compositions A and B was examined in aquariums of dimensions 25 x 40 x 40 cm, in which wet soil layer of thickness amounting 5 cm, leaves of two lettuce species and a container with drinkable water were disposed. The test was carried in the open-air in temperature 12-22 ⁰C during 168 hours (7 days) on mixed population of snails collected from farmlands, wherein slugs constituted at least 50 % of the population. A commercial composition Ferramol^® (1% iron phosphate) was used as a positive control. Each composition was poured out in one point of aquarium (10 g/point) close to the lettuce.

Table 1.2 Efficiency comparison

Example Il

In granulator for pellets granulates C₁ D and E were prepared in form of pellets of diameter 3 mm and the compositions presented in Table 11.1.

Table 11.1 Molluscicide compositions:

C. D. E - compositions according to the invention

The efficiency of compositions C, D and E according to the invention was examined in aquariums of dimensions 25 x 40 x 40 cm, in which wet soil layer of thickness amounting 5 cm, leaves of two lettuce species and container with drinkable water were disposed. The test was carried in the open-air in temperature 6-17 ⁰C, during 168 hours (7 days), on mixed population of snails collected from farmlands, wherein slugs constituted approximately 10 % of the population. A commercial composition Ferramol^® (1% iron phosphate) was employed as a positive control. Each composition was poured out evenly on the soil of aquarium (20 g/aquarium).

Table II.2 Efficiency comparison

Example

In a noodle making device Type P3 (LaMonterrina) cut granulates F, G and H of diameter 2.3 mm and of compositions presented in Table 111.1 were prepared.

Table 111.1 Molluscicide compositions:

F - compositions according to the invention; G₁ H - comparative compositions

According to the method I the efficiency of preparation F according to the invention in was examined in aquariums of dimensions 25 x 40 x 40 cm without soil, in which lettuce leaf and a container with drinkable water were disposed. The test was carried out in room temperature, during 2 days, on population of snails of species Helix aspersa (18 animals/aquarium). Compositions were spread evenly in doses of 2 g on the bottoms of aquariums.

Table III.2 Efficiency comparison

According to the method Il the efficiency of preparation F according to the invention in combating grey field slug (Deroceras reticulatum) and Spanish slug (Arion lusitanicus) was examined in aquariums of dimensions 25 x 40 x 40 cm, in which wet soil layer of thickness amounting 5 cm and wet lettuce leafs were disposed. Test was carried on in temperature 22 ⁰C, during 3 days, on populations of snails collected from farmlands. As positive control commercial preparations comprising iron phosphate were used: Ferramol^® (Neudorff), Sluggo (Monterey), Snail & Slug Killer Bait (Bayer). Preparations were poured out evenly on the soil surface in amount of 2 g between lettuce leafs and snails.

Table III.3 Efficiency comparison

Claims

Patent claims

1. A molluscicide having form of food bait, characterised in that it comprises: a) iron powders and/or iron alloys powders; b) at least one complexing agent; and c) neutral carrier edible for molluscs.

2. The molluscicide according to claim 1 , characterised in that iron powders and/or iron alloys powders are chosen from a group comprising carbonyl iron, sponge iron obtained by reduction in solid phase, sprayed iron forms prepared by a quick solidification of melted iron, electrolytic powders, alloy powders or iron coated with other metals and/or non-metals such as carbon, phosphor or phosphate, mixtures of iron powders with magnetite, iron powders coated with fats or paraffin.

3. The molluscicide according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that complexing agents are chosen from a group comprising organic and inorganic substances forming a complex with Fe(II) and/or Fe (III) ions, such as ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and salts thereof, hydrated disodium versenate, N-hexamethyllenediaminetetraacetic acid (HDTA) and salts thereof, methylglycinediacetic acid (MGDA) and salts thereof, diethylenetriaminepenta- acetic acid (DTPA) and salts thereof, hydroxy-2-ethylenediaminetriacetic acid (HEEDTA) and salts thereof, ethylenediamine-N.N'-disuccinic acid (EDDS) and salts thereof, glutamic acid diacetic acid (GLDA) and salts thereof, and mixtures thereof.

4. The molluscicide according to claim 3, characterised in that complexing agents are chosen from a group comprising ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and/or salts thereof and/or mixtures thereof with other, particularly biodegradable, complexing agents.

5. The molluscicide according any one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that neutral carrier edible for molluscs is a composition of substances of vegetable and/or animal origin such as a mixture of wheaten bruised grain, dried vegetables and porky greaves, a mixture of wheaten bruised grain and osseous meal, a mixture of osseous meal, a mixture of corn bruised grain, wheaten bruised grain, sugar and egg powder and/or plant grains.

6. The molluscicide according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that neutral carrier edible for molluscs has a form of condiment for seeds used alone or in combination with other plant protection agents appropriate for mordanting seeds.

7. The molluscicide according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that it additionally comprises at least one substance against mold growth such as IPBC, DCOIT, sorbic acid or sodium benzoate.

8. The molluscicide according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that it additionally comprises dyes, pigments, safety additive agents, attractant, agents improving rain-resistance of granules and/or other agents.