WO2018055423A1

WO2018055423A1 - Plant-based plant conditioner and protection product, method of producting such product and use of such product

Info

Publication number: WO2018055423A1
Application number: PCT/HU2017/050039
Authority: WO
Inventors: Edit Éva DULOVICS; József Péter PALLOS
Original assignee: Gyógynövénykutató Kft
Priority date: 2016-09-21
Filing date: 2017-09-21
Publication date: 2018-03-29

Abstract

The subject of the invention relates to a plant-based plant conditioner and protection product for cultivated plants, the essence of which is that the product, optionally with one or more additives and/or excipients, contains a mixture of the extracts of garlic (Allium sativum) and various plants produced using supercritical extraction, in which mixture the ratios of the extracts of the garlic (Allium sativum) and the individual plants in the mixture are the following a) plants from the dead-nettle family (Lamiaceae), 20 - 30 mass% b) plants from the nettle family (Cecropiaceae), 10 - 25 mass% c) plants from the aralia family (Araliaceae), 15 - 25 mass% d) plants from the nightshade family (Solanaceae), 10 - 15 mass% e) plants from the myrtle family (Myrtaceae), 5 - 15 mass% f) garlic (Allium sativum), 20 - 30 mass%. The subject of the invention also relates to a method for the production of such a product, as well as to the use of the product according to the invention.

Description

Plant-based plant conditioner and protection product, method of producing such product, and use of such product

The present invention relates to a plant conditioner and plant protection product for cultivated plants.

The present invention also relates to a method for the production of such a product.

The present invention also relates to the use of such a product.

According to reports the population of the Earth doubled over the past seventy years, during which time the area of cultivated agricultural land has only increased by 10%. Therefore, there is an increasingly greater need to produce as much foodstuff as possible on the arable land available due to the continuous increase in the population.

Also, it is widely known that production yield is significantly reduced by bacterial, virus and various fungal infections and by pest insects. Starting from the 1950s synthetically produced pesticides started becoming widespread around the world for the purpose of protecting plants from infections and pests, which pesticides may now be found everywhere in our environment. Industrial agriculture has become completely dependent on these chemicals, as they are used to protect cultivated plants from pests and disease and also to ensure the appropriate level of production yield.

The first generation pesticides were chlorinated hydrocarbons, such as, for example DDT, DDE, carbon tetrachloride, and heptachloride. The use of these today is strictly controlled or even prohibited, as during investigations it turned out that they are not only extremely toxic for the pests but also for humans as well. Their long-term effects on the human body are being investigated even to this day. It is unfortunate that as chlorinated hydrocarbons are very stable compounds and decompose in nature only slowly, after being banned they will continue to pollute the soil and wildlife for a long time.

Early pesticides also include organic phosphoric acid esters (e.g. dichlorophosphate, fonofos, diazinon, coumaphos, malathion), which have an effect on the central nervous system. Carbamates (e.g. karbaril, pirimicarb, maneb) also exert their effect on the central nervous system and recent research has shown a connection between them and developmental abnormalities in small children. Synthetic pyrethroids (e.g. deltamethrin, cypermethrin, cyhalothrin) used as pesticides damage the endocrine system. A more recent generation of pesticides includes neonicotinoids (e.g. acetamipirid, imidacloprid), these, according to investigations, have a damaging effect on nervous system development, therefore the European Commission introduced restrictions in connection with their use. It turned out that chloroacetamides (e.g. alachlor, metolachlor) may cause developmental abnormalities, so now the EU does not permit their use. Many pesticides (such as Roundup) are presumed to have a carcinogenic effect.

Over the past decades it has become increasingly obvious that the pesticide residues in agricultural produce grown for consumption, as well as their degradation products have a serious health-damaging effect, this is why in the recent past the number of research projects investigating the effect of pesticides on the human body and wildlife has significantly increased. These investigations made it obvious that a clear statistical relationship can be shown to exist between exposure to pesticides and the development of nervous and immune system diseases, cancer diseases and developmental abnormalities. In spite of the restrictions and bans, unfortunately many synthetic pesticides are still commercially available that have health damaging effects that are not yet known.

The only sure solution for avoiding the health-damaging effects presented above is to reduce the use of toxic synthetic pesticides. At the same time, in order to maintain production yield, the cultivated plants must be appropriately protected against diseases and pests. Attempts have been made to solve this dual problem. In traditional, chemical-free agriculture it has been known for a long time that when certain plants are planted next to one another, they have a favourable effect on each other's growth. It is also known that certain plants are able to keep insect pests away, while extracts of other plants are effective against fungal infections.

It is widely known in agriculture that an infusion of the leaves of certain types of nettle is suitable for spraying cultivated plants. Patent document number HU 226041 , for example, presents a pesticide solution made using equisetum, garlic, nettle and rainwater, which is used when growing paprika. Patent document number HU 225901 also presents a 15 mass% solution made from equisetum, garlic and nettle for spraying organic sea buckthorn. In their study titled " Ecological products obtained from plants used as pesticides used in vegetable cultrure (Solanaceae Family)" Catana, E. et al. describe a plant protection product containing the mixture of garlic, onion, culinary sage, basil, summer savory, nettle and jimsonweed extracts. Extraction was performed with ordinary water extraction method. According to test data, an 18% crop increase was achieved using the above-mentioned product. In their publication titled "Efficacy of plant extracts in plant disease management" published in the journal "Agricultural Sciences", alkhan Singh Gurjar et al. separately investigated the possibilities of applying garlic, onion, basil, mint, oregano, thyme, tobacco, tomato, eucalyptus and clove in the field of plant protection. However, the description does not contain any hint suggesting that these plant agents could be used in a mixture. European patent EP 2 389 806 disclose a plant conditioner and protection product containing plant extract, namely extracts of garlic and chili pepper. In Chinese document CN 105732218 mixtures of the extracts of plants belonging to the Amaryllidaceae, Lamiaceae and Solanaceae family were used as a plant protection and conditioner product. The product was used for feeding plants, increasing the photosynthesis, increasing crop yields and was used as a pesticide substance. Patent no. CN 105145663 discloses a pesticide product containing eucalyptus and mint oil for protecting vegetables against pests. Extracting the active substances is performed by conventional water extraction. In their publication titled "Efficacy evaluation of plant powders from Cameroon as post-harvest grain protectants against the infestation of Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)", Nukenine, E. N. et al. investigate the anti repellent effect of the plants belonging to Myrtaceae, Lamiaceae and Araliaceae family, for harvested crops. The effects of the plant extracts were disclosed separately, and not in a mixture. In their study titled "Antibacterial activity of different plant extracts and phenolic phytochernicals tested on Paenibacillus Larvae bacteria" published in "Animal Science and Biotechnologies", Marghit As, L. et al. investigated the antibacterial effect of basil, thyme and nettle against a honeybee bacteria. In Korean patent document no. KR 201 10079569 the plant conditioning effect of ginseng, belonging to Araliaceae family was investigated. It was established that the product is environmentally friendly and it is harmless for humans and animals. In Czech patent document no.

CZ201 10842 the application of the extract of ivy belonging to Ara!iaceae family was disclosed as an effective treatment against fungal infections. The obtained extract is used in plants in such a way that 1 unit weight of the extract is dissolved in 5 - 40 unit weight of solvent. In Korean patent document no. KR 201501 1 1477 the application of the extract of Aralia cordata belonging to the Araliaceae family was disclosed as a treatment against emerging diseases of pepper and other crops.

In the case of the above-mentioned solutions forming part of the state of the art, only the so-called water extraction is used for extracting the active substances from plants. The greatest disadvantage of water extraction is that in addition to the active substance the toxic substances (e.g. artificial fertiliser, heavy metals, synthetic pesticide residues, etc.) to be found in the plants used also get into the extract, therefore, in the end these health-damaging materials get back into the soil.

Another known process for extracting plant agents is the supercritical extraction, in which carbon-dioxide is often used as a solvent. In their publication titled ..Comparison of the performances of hydrodistillation and supercritical C02 extraction processes for essential oil extraction from rosemary (Rosmarinus Officinalis L.)" and published in " Chemical Engineering Transcactions ", Ouzzar M. L et al. compare the supercritical CO and water extracts of rosemary, hyssop and skullcaps belonging to the Lamiaceae family. During their trials the authors conclude that supercritical extraction is more efficient compared to water extraction, therefore more (but not significantly more) agent can be extracted with it. However, authors also point out that a fix amount of agent can be extracted more quickly using water extraction instead of using supercritical extraction (see figs. 2b, 2c and 2d). In view of the findings above, the authors are still proposing the water extraction as a conventional extraction method.

The greatest disadvantage of the pesticides described above which contain plant agents is that they are not sufficiently effective. From these pesticides several hundreds of grams or few kilograms must be added to the spray water (excipient) in order to have any effect. The reason for this is mainly due to the choice of the plants used and the extraction methods applied for the extraction of the plant agents.

It is an object of the invention to provide a plant-based plant conditioner and protection product, which is also effective when applied in a much lower concentration (few times 10 grams/hectare) compared to the products belonging to state of the art.

It is another object of the invention to provide a method for the production and use of such a product.

The invention is based on the recognition that if extracts are produced from specific plants in a specific way, and if the plant extracts are mixed in a specific ratio a natural product may be produced that may be used as both a plant conditioner and pesticide, and such product is effective even if it is applied in a much lower concentration compared to the products belonging to state of the art.

The invention is based on the recognition that the plant conditioning and protecting effect of the extracts of specific plants can be significantly increased when supplemented with the extracts of other, appropriately selected plants, in other words a better effect can be achieved through the joint use of the extracts than by using the individual extracts separately over time.

The invention is also based on the recognition that if the production of extracts from the appropriately selected plants is performed using supercritical extraction, then, surprisingly the synergy occurring with the mixing of the obtained extracts appears more markedly. This surprising strength was proven by field trials.

The invention is also based on the recognition that an extract obtained using supercritical extraction contains the active substances at a high concentration in such a way that the extract remains free of the toxic materials (artificial fertiliser, heavy metals, synthetic pesticide residues, etc.) to be found in the plants used.

During our experiments it was found that a homogenised mixture of the extracts of garlic (Allium sativum) and plants from the dead-nettle family (Lamiaceae), the nettle family (Cecropiaceae), the aralia family (Araliaceae), the nightshade family (Solanaceae), and the myrtle family (Myrtaceae) produced using supercritical extraction, optionally mixed with one or more known additives and/or excipients, may be used outstandingly well as a plant conditioning and protection product for spraying crop plants (such as rape, potato, tomato, garlic, poppy, sour cherry, honeydew melon, and grapes).

In the context of the present invention members of the mentioned plant families are described below, together with important and known agents thereof. a) plants from the Lamiaceae family are chosen from the group consisting of peppermint (Mentha piperita), lampwich plant (Phlomis), Pogostemon, self-heal (Prunella) and yellow archangel (Lamiastrum). Agents: essential oils, acids and resin.

b) plants from the Cecropiaceae family are chosen from the group consisting of common nettle (Urtica dioica), upright pellitory (Parietaria officinalis), annual nettle (Urtica urens), kievan nettle (Urtica kioviensis) and Chinese money plant (Pilea peperomioides). Agents: polyphenols, flavonoids, formic acid, tanninic acid, glucokinin, histamine.

c) plants from the Araliaceae family are chosen from the group consisting of ivy (Hedera), ginseng (Panax), ground ivy (Glechoma hederacea) and balfour aralia (Polyscias balfouriana). Agents: triterpene saponin (hederakozid C), cinnamic acid derivatives, polyyne (falcarinol) and flavonoids.

d) plants from the Solanaceae family are chosen from the group consisting of tobacco (Nicotiana), angel's trumpets (Brugmansia), Cestrum, boxthorn

(Lycium) and nightshades (Solanum). Agents: resins, essential oils, acids, alkaloids (solanine, tropane, nicotine, capsaicin).

e) plants from the Myrtaceae family are chosen from the group consisting of narrow-leaved paperbark (Melaleuca alternifolia), common myrtle (Myrtus communis), Myrtus pubescens, Myrtus microphylla and Myrtus lumae. Agents: (+)- terpinen-4-ol, a-terpinen, terpinolene, terpineol, pinene, myrcene, phellandrene, p- cymene, limonene, 1 ,8-cineol.

The product according to the invention has a positive effect on the development of the foliage and roots of flowers, vegetables, fruits, saplings and arable crops, in other words it improves the condition of the plant and its natural protective ability. In addition, the product provides protection against bacterial, virus and fungal diseases of plants and against insect pests. A great advantage of the product according to the invention is that as it has a completely natural base and does not contain toxic components, hence protective equipment and clothing is not required when it is used.

The product contains a mixture of extracts of plants made using supercritical extraction, and, optionally, one or more additives and/or excipients. During supercritical extraction the soluble components are extracted from plant materials using a solvent in a supercritical state. During the extraction the elution ability of the solvent may be regulated by changing the physical parameters (e.g. temperature, pressure, flow rate), therefore, in addition to an exceptionally good degree of selective elution, selective separation may also be realised. The eluted material is separated from the solvent at the end of the supercritical extraction operation, preferably by using pressure reduction. One of the most significant advantages of supercritical extraction as compared to traditional organic solvent techniques is that the solvent may be separated from the extract without leaving any residue, therefore the final product is free of organic solvents that are damaging to the health.

During our experiments it was found that the homogenised mixture of the extracts of various plants produced using supercritical extraction is the most effective as a plant conditioning and protecting agent, if the ratios of the garlic and the extracts of the individual plants in the mixture are the following:

a) plants from the dead-nettle family (Lamiaceae), 20 - 30 mass% b) plants from the nettle family (Cecropiaceae), 10 - 25 mass%

c) plants from the aralia family (Araliaceae), 15 - 25 mass%

d) plants from the nightshade family (Solanaceae), 10 - 15 mass% e) plants from the myrtle family (Myrtaceae), 5 - 15 mass%

f) garlic (Allium sativum), 20 - 30 mass%.

It was surprising to find that the synergic effect of the various extracts strengthening each other is even more significant if the components a) and f) jointly make up at least 50 mass% of the extract mixture.

In the case of a preferable embodiment, in order to make the oily, lipophilic extracts soluble in water, an emulsifier is mixed with the product as an additive, preferably the soya-based emulsifying agent polysorbate 20. Naturally, optionally the use of other, preferably natural emulsifiers is also possible. In the case of an especially preferable embodiment, the ratio of the emulsifier and the extract mixture is 5:1 . Optionally, an embodiment may also be conceived in the case of which the product contains other additives in addition to the emulsifier, such as rosmarinic acid. Water as an auxiliary material is added to the product according to the invention in the interest of easier use. Therefore the product according to the invention can be sprayed onto the plants in a usual way (spraying).

The subject of the invention also relates to a method for the production of the product. According to the method:

Plants belonging to the

a) dead-nettle family (Lamiaceae),

b) nettle family (Cecropiaceae),

c) aralia family (Araliaceae),

d) nightshade family (Solanaceae), and

e) myrtle family (Myrtaceae)

and f) garlic (Alium sativum) are extracted with supercritical extraction, the plant extracts are combined and homogenised, then, optionally, one or more additives and/or excipients are mixed with the obtained mixture. For example, the aforementioned emulsifier polysorbate 20 may be used as an additive, which makes the extracts soluble in water. If water is used as an excipient it is preferable if rosmarinic acid is also added to the product, which stabilises the product and extends its shelf life.

According to experiments performed the moisture content of the plants has a great effect on the efficiency of extraction, therefore, in the case of an especially preferable embodiment, before performing the extraction process, the plants are gently dried preferably at a temperature between 35 - 38 °C. Gentle drying means the extraction of water using a known technology (e.g. sun drying, air drying) that maintains the original aroma and active substance content of the plant. Optionally, an embodiment may be conceived in the case of which the drying is performed at a low temperature. An example of this may be freeze-drying in a vacuum (lyophilisation), as is known to a person skilled in the art.

It is known that before supercritical extraction is performed, the plants to be processed are prepared, most frequently chopped. During our experiments it was found that the efficiency of extraction is significantly influenced by the fraction size, in other words by the particle size to which the plant to be subjected to extraction is chopped. In the case of an especially preferable embodiment, during the process the plants to be subjected to extraction are ground to a fraction size of between 1 - 2 mm, which - according to our investigations - represents the most optimal particle size.

In the case of an especially preferable embodiment, carbon dioxide is used as the solvent for the supercritical extraction, which has numerous preferable characteristics. Carbon dioxide is not corrosive, not flammable, not toxic, and as a result of its relatively high density, it is able to dissolve a large amount of active substance. Another very important advantage is that its critical temperature is relatively low (31 .06 °C), therefore the heat-sensitive plant active substances can be extracted almost without any heat damage and in the form complying with their natural occurrence. As carbon dioxide is an apolar compound, it mainly dissolves apolar active substances. In this way, the toxic compounds, which are generally polar compounds, are not extracted into the extract. Naturally, an embodiment may also be conceived in the case of which a polar solvent (e.g. ethanol) is used instead of (or in addition to) carbon dioxide, with which the polar active substances also become soluble.

The amount and composition of the soluble substances in the plants in families a) - e) and f) garlic differ considerably, therefore during the method according to the invention the supercritical extraction is performed using various physical parameters in the case of the various plants. Physical parameters mean the extraction pressure and temperature, the solvent flow rate and the duration of the extraction process, as is obvious for a person skilled in the art.

In the following an exemplary embodiment is disclosed of the method for the production of the product according to the present, without limiting the invention to the disclosed embodiment. In the case of this embodiment the plants in the dead-nettle family present as component a) are extracted with supercritical extraction for about 70 - 90 minutes, using a carbon dioxide flow rate of 130 - 150 litres/hour, at a pressure of 225 - 275 bar, and at a temperature of 50 - 60 °C, producing a plant extract. Plants in the nettle family present as component b) are extracted with supercritical extraction for about 70 - 90 minutes, using a carbon dioxide flow rate of 120 - 140 litres/hour, at a pressure of 170 - 210 bar, and at a temperature of 50

- 60 °C, producing a plant extract.

Plants in the aralia family present as component c) are extracted with supercritical extraction for about 40 - 60 minutes, using a carbon dioxide flow rate of 190 - 210 litres/hour, at a pressure of 270 - 330 bar, and at a temperature of 45

- 55 °C, producing a plant extract.

Plants in the nightshade family present as component d) are extracted with supercritical extraction for about 120 - 140 minutes, using a carbon dioxide flow rate of 150 - 170 litres/hour, at a pressure of 250 - 310 bar, and at a temperature of 50 - 60 °C, producing a plant extract.

Plants in the myrtle family present as component e) are extracted with supercritical extraction for about 80 - 100 minutes, using a carbon dioxide flow rate of 215 - 245 litres/hour, at a pressure of 270 - 330 bar, and at a temperature of 50 - 60 °C, producing a plant extract.

Garlic (Allium sativum) presented as component f) is extracted with supercritical extraction for about 50 - 70 minutes, using a carbon dioxide flow rate of 150 - 170 litres/hour, at a pressure of 170 - 210 bar, and at a temperature of 40 - 50 °C, producing a plant extract.

After the this product according to the invention is prepared by combining and homogenising the obtained plant extracts in such a way that the ratios of the extracts of the components a)-f) in the mixture are the following:

a) dead-nettle family (Lamiaceae) 25 mass%,

b) nettle family (Cecropiaceae) 15 mass%,

c) aralia family (Araliaceae) 20 mass%,

d) nightshade family (Solanaceae) 10 mass%

e) myrtle family (Myrtaceae) 5 mass%

f) garlic (Alium sativum) 25 mass%.

The subject of the invention also relates to the use of the product for the conditioning and protection of crop plants, during which the crop plant is treated with the product according to the invention presented above. In the context of the present invention treating means that the product according to the invention is imparted onto the plants to be treated, such as by spraying at specified intervals. The treated crop plants are preferably rape, potato, tomato, garlic, poppy, sour cherry, honeydew melon and grapes, but, naturally, the use of the product according to the invention on other crop plants is also conceivable. In the case of a preferable embodiment one hectare of the crop plants is treated with a product containing a total of 10 - 30 grams of the extract mixture. In other words, a product containing a total amount of 10 - 30 grams of the extract mixture is sprayed on one hectare of the cultivation area during the whole spraying period, in which spraying period multiple sprayings may be effected. In case of multiple sprayings, the product containing the 10 - 30 grams of the extract mixture is divided according to the number of sprayings.

In the following the product according to the invention is presented via effect examples. Comparative investigations were performed among plants treated with the product according to the invention and untreated (control) plants. During the tests the production yield, the yield quality, the storage stability, the foliage mass, the root system of the treated plants and the appearance of pests were monitored as compared to the control.

Example 1

Strawberry: exceptionally good experimental results were obtained in connection with this culture. During the investigation the product according to the invention was sprayed onto the plants at two-week intervals starting from the main flowering period until the end of the growing season. During the spraying period a total of 20 g of extract was used per hectare. A very significant, 15% average increase in harvest results (ripening speed, berry size balance) was measured. The produce had a significantly higher sugar content (26% sugar content increase) and longer storage stability as compared to the control. During the growing season only weak instances of grey mould were observed. In this respect the plants treated with the product according to the invention had greater protection against Botrytis cinerea as compared to the control group plants.

Example 2 Poppy: the use of the product according to the invention involving a total amount of 20 g/ha of the extract mixture during the growing season significantly increased the amount of yield, and there was a clear increase seen in the number of seed heads.

Example 3

Rape: the plants were sprayed with the product according to the invention at two-week intervals starting from when the plants reached a stem height of 20 - 30 cm up until the end of the growing season. In this case also a total of 20 g of extract was used per hectare during the spraying period. After harvesting the phenology tests gave positive results with respect to rape pollination, the number of seedpods and the number of seeds per pod as compared to the untreated control group. Example 4

Honeydew melon: the plants were sprayed with the product according to the invention at two-week intervals starting from when the plants reached a stem height of 20 - 30 cm up until the end of the growing season. In this case, also a total of 20 g of extract was used per hectare during the spraying period. There were no visible or assessable differences observable with respect to shoot length and flowering as compared to the control group, however, the size of the produce, the individual weights of the melons and the total weight of produce from the growing area were 10-15% higher as compared to the control group. Example 5

Garlic: the plants were sprayed with the product according to the invention at two-week intervals starting from the beginning of the growing phase all the way until the end of the growing season. In this case a total of 30 g of extract was used per hectare during the spraying period. There was a visible difference during the harvesting period in terms of the phenology stages as compared to the control group. The above-surface parts of the plants on the plots treated with the product according to the invention dried 4-7 days sooner. In spite of the faster ripening, the size and weight of the subsurface produce, and the total amount produced was 10-15% higher as compared to the untreated control group.

Example 6

Sour cherry: after flowering the plants were sprayed with the product according to the invention on three occasions up until the end of the growing season and in the phenology stage. In this case a total of 30 g of extract was used per hectare during the spraying period. As a result of the treatment a low degree of pathogen infection was seen (Monilinia spp., Stigmina carpophylla), there were no visible signs of disease on the shoots or the produce. When the fruit was ripe, the produce from the plots treated with the product according to the invention had a darker red colour as compared to the untreated control group, and ripening started a few days earlier.

Clearly various modifications of the above described embodiments will be apparent to a person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of protection determined by the attached claims.

Claims

1. Plant-based plant conditioner and protection product for cultivated plants, characterised by that the product, optionally with one or more additives and/or excipients, contains a mixture of the extracts of garlic (Allium sativum) and various plants produced using supercritical extraction, in which mixture the ratios of the extracts of garlic (Allium sativum) and the individual plants in the mixture are the following:

c) plants from the aralia family (Araliaceae), 15 - 25 mass%

f) garlic (Allium sativum), 20 - 30 mass%.

2. The product according to claim 1 , characterised by that the plants from the dead-nettle family (Lamiaceae) are chosen from the group consisting of peppermint (Mentha piperita), lampwich plant (Phlomis), Pogostemon, self-heal (Prunella) and yellow archangel (Lamiastrum).

3. The product according to claim 1 , characterised by that the plants from the nettle family (Cecropiaceae) are chosen from the group consisting of common nettle (Urtica dioica), upright pellitory (Parietaria officinalis), annual nettle (Urtica urens), kievan nettle (Urtica kioviensis) and Chinese money plant (Pilea peperomioides).

4. The product according to claim 1 , characterised by that the plants from the aralia family (Araliaceae) are chosen from the group consisting of ivy (Hedera), ginseng (Panax), ground ivy (Glechoma hederacea) and balfour aralia (Polyscias balfouriana).

5. The product according to claim 1 , characterised by that the plants from the nightshade family (Solanaceae) are chosen from the group consisting of tobacco (Nicotiana), angel's trumpets (Brugmansia), Cestrum, boxthorn (Lycium) and nightshades (Solanum).

6. The product according to claim 1 , characterised by that the plants from the myrtle family (Myrtaceae) are chosen from the group consisting of narrow- leaved paperbark (Melaleuca alternifolia), common myrtle (Myrtus communis), Myrtus pubescens, Myrtus microphylla and Myrtus lumae.

7. The product according to claim 1 , characterised by that the garlic (Allium sativum) and the dead-nettle family (Lamiaceae) jointly make up at least 50 mass% of the extract mixture.

8. The product according to any of claims 1 to 7, characterised by that it contains an emulsifier, preferebly soya-based polysorbate 20 emulsifier as additive, and water as an excipient, and the ratio of the emulsifier and the extract mixture is 5: 1 .

9. Method for the production of a product according to any of claims 1 to 8, characterised by extracting plants belonging to the

a) dead-nettle family (Lamiaceae),

b) nettle family (Cecropiaceae),

c) aralia family (Araliaceae),

d) nightshade family (Solanaceae), and

e) myrtle family (Myrtaceae)

f) garlic (Allium sativum)

with supercritical extraction, combining and homogenising the plant extracts, then, optionally, mixing one or more additives and/or excipients with the obtained mixture.

10. Method according to claim 9, characterised by that before the supercritical extraction of the plants belonging to the families a) - e) and the f) garlic:

- are dried at a temperature preferably between 35 - 38 °C then

- are ground to a particle size of between 1 - 2 mm.

11. Method according to claim 9 or 10, characterised by using carbon dioxide as a solvent during the supercritical extraction.

12. Method according to claim 1 1 , characterised by performing the supercritical extraction of the plants in the dead-nettle family present as component a) preferably for 70 - 90 minutes, using a carbon dioxide flow rate of 130 - 150 litres/hour, at a pressure of 225 - 275 bar, and at a temperature of 50 - 60 °C.

13. Method according to any of claims 1 1 to 12, characterised by performing the supercritical extraction of the plants in the nettle family present as component b) preferably for 70 - 90 minutes, using a carbon dioxide flow rate of 120 - 140 litres/hour, at a pressure of 170 - 210 bar, and at a temperature of 50 - 60 °C.

14. Method according to any of claims 1 1 to 13, characterised by performing the supercritical extraction of the plants in the aralia family present as component c) preferably for 40 - 60 minutes, using a carbon dioxide flow rate of 190 - 210 litres/hour, at a pressure of 270 - 330 bar, and at a temperature of 45 - 55 °C.

15. Method according to any of claims 1 1 to 14, characterised by performing the supercritical extraction of the plants in the nightshade family present as component d) preferably for 120 - 140 minutes, using a carbon dioxide flow rate of 150 - 170 litres/hour, at a pressure of 250 - 310 bar, and at a temperature of 50 - 60 °C.

16. Method according to any of claims 1 1 to 15, characterised by performing the supercritical extraction of the plants in the myrtle family present as component e) preferably for 80 - 100 minutes, using a carbon dioxide flow rate of 215 - 245 litres/hour, at a pressure of 270 - 330 bar, and at a temperature of 50 - 60 °C.

17. Method according to any of claims 1 1 to 16, characterised by performing the supercritical extraction of garlic (Allium sativum) present as component f) preferably for 50 - 70 minutes, using a carbon dioxide flow rate of 150 - 170 litres/hour, at a pressure of 170 - 210 bar, and at a temperature of 40 - 50 °C.

18. Method according to any of claims 9 to 17, characterised by using rosmarinic acid, and/or water and/or polysorbate 20 emulsifier as additives and/or excipients.

19. The use of the product according to any of claims 1 to 8, characterised by that the crop plant is treated during the growing season with the product according to claims 1 to 8, which crop plants are preferably rape, potato, tomato, garlic, poppy, sour cherry, honeydew melon, or grapes.

20. The use according to claim 19, characterised by that during the growing season one hectare of the crop plants is treated with a product containing 10 - 30 g of extract mixture.