WO2014023590A1

WO2014023590A1 - Method for treating plants

Info

Publication number: WO2014023590A1
Application number: PCT/EP2013/065848
Authority: WO
Inventors: Endre MATE
Original assignee: Syngenta Limited
Priority date: 2012-08-10
Filing date: 2013-07-26
Publication date: 2014-02-13
Also published as: GB201214387D0; AR092078A1; EP2882294A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to the use of azoxystrobin and/or propiconazole production of a crop plant having raised levels of sugars.

Description

METHOD FOR TREATING PLANTS

This invention relates to the use of certain fungicides in the production of a crop plant having raised levels of sugars. The invention also relates to a method for increasing the sugar content of crop plants and to crop plants having raised levels of sugars.

The present invention relates to a method of raising the level of sugars in crop plants at their time of harvest by the pre-harvest treatment of the crop plants with azoxystrobin and/or propiconazole.

Thus, according to the present invention, there is provided the use of azoxystrobin and/or propiconazole in the production of a crop plant having raised levels of sugars. Also provided is a method for producing a crop plant having raised levels of sugars, comprising applying to the foliage of the crop plant, during its growing period, an effective amount of azoxystrobin and/or propiconazole.

In the context of this invention, 'crop plant' includes but is not limited to perennial crops, such as citrus fruit, grapevines, nuts, oil palms, olives, pome fruit, stone fruit, rubber and annual arable crops, such as cereals (for example barley and wheat) cotton, oilseed rape, maize (including sweet-corn) rice, soy beans, sugar beet, sugar cane, sunflowers, ornamentals, switchgrass, turf and vegetables (including those which produce edible green leaves as well as root crops such as onions and other crops such as egg-plant, sweet pepper, carrots, pumpkins and tomato). The invention is particularly useful when applied to maize plants and, in particular, sweet-corn. In such plants, the raised levels of sugar are found in the maize or sweet-corn ear.

The fungicide of the present invention can be applied one or more times to the crop plant during its growing period. The fungicides of the present invention may be applied to the plant in order to control fungal disease as well as increasing sugar levels. Alternatively, they may be applied in the absence of fungal pressure in order to raise the sugar level in the crop plant of interest. Optionally, the fungicides of the invention can be applied in addition to one or more other fungicides that may be used to combat fungal infections of the plant. In particular, the fungicides of the invention may be mixed with a fungicide selected from the group consisting of chlorothalonil, cymoxonil, cyproconazole, difenoconazole, prothioconazole, fenpropidin, fenpropimorph, fluazinam, fludioxonil, folpet, hexaconazole, metalaxyl-M, pyroquilon, tebuconazole, thiabendazole or thiram.

The timing of application of the azoxystrobin and/or propiconazole may follow that normally followed when the azoxystrobin and/or propiconazole is applied as a fungicide. However, particularly for maize plants, including sweet-corn, it may be preferable to make an application of azoxystrobin and/or propiconazole at the stem elongation stage of growth (BBCH 30 to 39; Zadok et al, 1974, Weed Research, 14(6), pages 415-421) or during silking (BBCH 55 to 62).

The amount of azoxystrobin and/or propiconazole applied depends, inter alia, on the number of applications made during the growing period, on the particular fungicide used and on how the fungicide is formulated. A skilled person can determine the amount without undue experimentation. Typically it is at about the level the azoxystrobin and/or propiconazole is normally applied as a fungicide. For example, in the case of azoxystrobin, which is sold in the form of a suspension concentrate (the commercial products Amistar™ or Ortiva™ are sold as suspension concentrates containing 250 g/1 azoxystrobin) 100 to 400 g/ha, for example 200 to 300 g/ha, typically 250g/ha, is an effective amount.

The azoxystrobin and/or propiconazole can be used in unmodified form but is normally used in the form of a formulation, in which it is mixed with a carrier, surfactant and/or other application-promoting adjuvant of the type customarily employed in agrochemical formulation technology.

Suitable carriers and adjuvants can be solid or liquid and are, for example, natural or regenerated mineral substances, solvents, dispersants, wetting agents, tackifiers, thickeners, binders or fertilisers. They are conveniently formulated in known manner to form, for example, emulsifiable concentrates, coatable pastes, directly sprayable or dilutable solutions, dilute emulsions, wettable powders, soluble powders, dusts, granules or capsules, for instance by encapsulation in polymers substances. The method of application, such as spraying, atomising, dusting, scattering, coating or pouring can be chosen in accordance with the prevailing circumstances. The formulations can be prepared in known manner, typically by intimately mixing, grinding and/or extruding the fungicide or insecticide with an extender, for example, a solvent or a solid or liquid carrier and, where appropriate, one or more surface-active compounds (surfactants).

The agrochemical composition generally comprises from 0.1 to 99%, preferably from 0.1 to 95%, of the fungicide or insecticide and from 99.9 to 1%, preferably 99.9 to 5%, of a solid or liquid carrier and/or adjuvant, and 0 to 25%, preferably, 0.1 to 25%, of a surfactant.

Whereas commercial products or wet or dry dressings are preferably formulated as concentrates, the end user will normally use diluted formulations for developing plants.

The solid carriers typically used for dusts and dispersible powders are calcite, talcum, kaolin, montmorillonite and attapulgite, highly dispersed silicic acid or absorbent polymers. Suitable granulated adsorptive granular carriers are pumice, broken brick, sepiolite and bentonite, and suitable non-sorptive carriers are typically calcite and dolomite.

Suitable surface-active compounds are non-ionic, cationic and/or anionic surfactants having good emulsifying, dispersing and/or wetting properties. The term "surfactant" also includes a mixture of surfactants.

The surfactants customarily employed in formulation technology may be found in the following literature: "McCutcheon' s Detergents and Emulsifiers Annual", MC Publishing Corp., Glen Rock, N.J., 1988; and M. and J. Ash, "Encyclopedia of Surfactants", Vol. I-III, Chemical Publishing Co., New York, 1980-1981.

'Raised' levels of sugar means that the sugar can be detected at a higher levels than in untreated plants grown in comparable conditions, for example 5% or more higher, preferably 10%) or more higher. Sugar levels can be detected using standard methods.

The invention also provides a crop having raised levels of sugars, the crop being derived from a crop plant which has been treated with azoxystrobin and, optionally, propiconazole. 'Crop' means the part of the crop plant which is harvested for consumption or use in preparing extracts for consumption. Various aspects and embodiments of the present invention will now be illustrated in more detail by way of example.

EXAMPLE

Sweet-corn (variety Royalty) was treated with 1 litre/ha Quilt Xcel (containing Azoxystrobin and Propiconazole as active ingredients) between growth stages BBCH 55 and 62. Sugar content, w/w%, showed an approximately two-fold increase on treatment with Quilt Xcel^® as compared with a control trial.

Although the invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments and examples thereof, the scope of the present invention is not limited only to those described embodiments. As will be apparent to persons skilled in the art, modifications and adaptations to the above-described invention can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, which is defined and circumscribed by the appended claims.

All publications cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety for all purposes to the same extent as if each individual publication were specifically and individually indicated to be so incorporated by reference.

Claims

1. The use of azoxystrobin and/or propiconazole in the production of a crop plant having raised levels of sugars.

2. The use of claim 1 , wherein the crop plant is a maize plant.

3. The use of claim 2, wherein the crop plant is a sweet-corn plant.

4. The use of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein both azoxystrobin and propiconazole are used.

5. The use of any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the azoxystrobin and/or propiconazole are applied to the crop plant during stem elongation.

6. A method for producing a crop plant having raised levels of sugar, comprising applying to the foliage of the crop plant, during its growing period, an effective amount of azoxystrobin and/or propiconazole.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the crop plant is a maize plant.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the crop plant is a sweet-corn plant.

9. The method of any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein both azoxystrobin and propiconazole are used.

10. The method of any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the azoxystrobin and/or propiconazole are applied to the crop plant during stem elongation.