Bait with cucurbitacin

Details Bait with cucurbitacin Bait with cucurbitacin

1994-02-08

2001-01-16

Levy, Neil S. (Department: 1616)

Drug, bio-affecting and body treating compositions

Preparations characterized by special physical form

Biocides; animal or insect repellents or attractants

C424S084000, C424S405000, C424S406000, C424S418000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06174538

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a bait having a particularly effective form and structure for control of various insects and particularly for immature and adult diabroticine beetles.
BACKGROUND OF THE TECHNOLOGY
Diabroticine beetles are a significant problem during the growth of, inter alia, corn (field, pop, seed, and sweet), beans, Cucurbitaceae (including cucumbers, melons, squash, and pumpkins), peanuts, peas, potatoes, and sweet potatoes. Corn is conveniently used to describe the effects of diabroticine beetles. These pests are the direct or indirect (i.e., as a vector for bacteria and inoculation of melons and squash) cause of millions of dollars of crop and garden damage annually. Damage by these beetles has continued despite over 30 years of attempts at control.
Diabroticine beetles encompass multivoltine and univoltine species. Multivoltine species (e.g., the southern corn rootworm) can produce up to 3 generations a year. Univoltine species (e.g., northern and western corn rootworm) have a life cycle that starts with eggs laid 4-24 inches below the soil surface in the Fall. In early Spring and over the course of several weeks, the larvae (a form of immature beetle) hatch and begin to feed on nearby roots thereby destroying the root's anchoring abilities and the microhairs responsible for mineral, nutrients, and water assimilation. If the plant roots have not been so damaged that the plants falls over, the yield from the affected plants is reduced due to impaired nutrition.
After feeding, the diabroticine larvae pupate and emerge from the ground as adult beetles. Univoltine beetles emerge at some time during mid July through August (depending on local climate). Male diabroticine beetles emerge about 1 week before the females (week 1) which, in turn, emerge at about the same time as corn silks emerge. Because the fresh silks emit a number of volatile agents which are attractive to both the male and female beetles, the 7-10 days of silking represents a period of high feeding activity for the beetles. The beetles immediately begin to migrate up the stalk toward the leaves, ears, and silks. This compulsion is quite strong since there is evidence that the beetles will not move down the corn stalk in response to attractants. Throughout this period, the beetles feed and mate.
The key to control of the diabroticine beetles is to disrupt the life cycle by affecting the immature and/or adult beetles. One method known in the art as “banding” refers to the practice of trying to control the larvae by applying a contact insecticide in or along a furrow containing planted seeds. The theory behind banding is that larvae will enter the treated area when searching for roots and die due to contact with the insecticide.
Unfortunately, microbial attack impairs the efficacy of insecticides in the soil well before all the larvae have had time to hatch and enter the treated band. Concerns for groundwater contamination, the impact on nontarget organisms (e.g., bird kill), and the hazards of human exposure to the toxic insecticides all restrict the use of soil insecticides that might be capable of surviving in the soil through the larval feeding stage.
The effectiveness of banding is also limited by the plants themselves. Plant roots often extend well beyond the treated band leaving the roots vulnerable to attack.
It has been proposed to use the tissue of dried gourds from the Cucurbitale order in combination with 0.01-10% by weight (wt %) of an insecticide to make a lethal bait for the control of diabroticine beetles. Due to genetic evolution, corn rootworm larvae have evolved to compulsively feed on cucurbitacins.
From Canadian Patent No. 1,195,922, the bitter tasting cucurbitacins in the gourd tissue acts as a compulsive feeding stimulant for diabroticine beetles but is a feeding deterrent to beneficial insects. By coating the gourd tissues with an insecticide according to the teachings of the disclosure, it was asserted that the beetles would compulsively consume a lethal quantity of insecticide.
It would be desirable to have a bait formulation that would provide a high level of efficacy against immature and mature diabroticine beetles when applied through conventional application equipment as a sprayable aqueous solution, as well as when applied as a dry granular bait.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an objective of the invention to provide a bait and method of use thereof having high levels of pest control and which is particularly effective against diabroticine populations.
It is another objective of the invention to provide a composition containing an intimate admixture of a feeding stimulant and insecticide in a form useful for application as a dry granular solid or as a solid suspended in aqueous solution using conventional application equipment.
In accordance with these and other objectives that will become apparent from the description herein, baits according to the invention comprise particulate composite baits comprising a binding agent comprising gelatin in which is homogeneously dispersed a mixture of (a) 0.01-99 wt % of diabroticidal insecticide; and (b) 0.01-99 wt % of a feeding stimulant comprising a cucurbitacin.
The present bait provides a physical form with high efficacy. The homogeneous distribution assures that consumption of cucurbitacin will also include consumption of insecticide by target insects until a lethal dose is achieved, while simultaneously serving as a feeding deterrent to nontarget insects and animals due to the bitter taste of the cucurbitacins. The bait exhibits a high rate of kill in targeted immature as well as mature diabroticine beetles at low material application rates.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4615883 (1986-10-01), Nelsen et al.
patent: 4764272 (1988-08-01), Herrnstadt et al.
patent: 4764372 (1988-08-01), Herrnstadt
patent: 4985413 (1991-01-01), Kohama et al.
patent: 5120540 (1992-06-01), Doane et al.
patent: 1195922 (1983-06-01), None
patent: 1195922 (1985-10-01), None
patent: 8504074 (1985-09-01), None
I. Aguinagalde, J.M. Ortiz, F. Rodriguez and C. Cedano, “Chemosystematic Survey of CultivatedCucurbitaSpecies,” Journal of Horticultural Science, 65(6):649-655, (1990).
J.F. Andersen and R.L. Metcalf, “Identification To A Volatile Attractant ForDiabrotica and AcalymmaSPP. From Blossoms ofCucubita maximaDuchesne”, Journal of Chemical Ecology, vol. 12, No. 3, pp. 687-699 (1986).
J.F. Andersen and R.L. Metcalf, Factors Influencing Distribution ofDiabroticaSPP. In Blossoms of CultivatedCucurbitaSPP., Journal of Chemical Ecology, vol. 13, No. 4, pp. 681-699 (1987).
M. Arisawa, J.M. Pezzuto, A.D. Kinghorn, G.A. Cordell and N.R. Farnsworth, Plant Anticancer Agents XXX: Cucurbitacins fromIpomopsis Aggregata(Polemoniaceae), Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, vol. 73, No. 3, pp. 411-413 (1984).
Tom Arthur, “New Approach To Rootworm Control: Manipulating adult populations may one day greatly enhance corn rootworm control”, Farm Chemicals, (Jul. 1989).
Mohamed A. Ba-Amer and W.P. Bemis, Fruit and Seed Development inCucurbita foetidissima,pp. 297-299 (1968).
J.W. Berry, A.C. Gathman, J.M. Nelson, J.C. Scheerens, “Buffalo Group Research Status and Potential for Commercialization as a Cucurbitacin Source”, (Apr. 1985).
J.W. Berry, J.C. Scheerens and W.P. Bemis, “Buffalo Gourd Roots: Chemical Composition and Seasonal Changes in Starch Content”, J. Agric. Food Chem., vol. 26, No. 2, pp. 354-356, (1978); “Cucurbit Root Starches: Isolationa nd Some Properties of Staches fromCucurbita foetidissimaHBK andCucurbita digitalaGray,” J. Agric. Food Chem., vol. 23, No. 4, pp. 825-826 (1975).
M. Brusko, “He Tells EPA What To Do: Better systems, fewer products are the key to safer, more profitable farming, this farmer says”, The New Farm Magazine, Nov./Dec., pp. 11-16, (1989).
S.J. Castle, T.M. Perring, C.A. Farrar and A.N. Kishaba, “Field and Laboratory Transmission of Watermelon Mosaic Virus 2 and Zucchini Yellow Mosaic Virus by Various Aphid Species”, The American Phytopathological Society, vol. 82, No. 2, pp. 235-240, (1992).
J.T. Alves Costa and W.P. Be

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Bait with cucurbitacin does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Bait with cucurbitacin, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Bait with cucurbitacin will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2476443