COMPOSITION AND METHODS FOR MANAGING AND CONTROLLING HEMIPTERA INSECTS

Abstract

Compositions and methods of using the compositions for controlling a hemiptera population, wherein the compositions contain at least one at least one aggregation pheromone and at least one kairomone attractant. The compositions may further include a pesticide.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a hemiptera population in a region, the method comprising administering a composition comprising at least one aggregation pheromone and at least one kairomone attractant to the region.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising at least one pesticide.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one pesticide is present in the composition in a range of approximately 0.1% to approximately 2%.

4. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one pesticide is present in the composition in an amount of about 2%.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the composition is rainfast and retains its efficacy for at least 24 hours.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the composition retains its efficacy for at least 3 weeks.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the composition is administered to the region at a volume range of approximately 0.5 L/ha to approximately 1.0 L/ha.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one pesticide is a pyrethroid insecticide.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one pesticide is bifenthrin.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one pesticide is thiamethoxam.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one pesticide is -cyhalothrin.

12. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one pesticide is ethiprole.

13. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one pesticide is imidacloprid.

14. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one pesticide is cypermethrin.

15. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one pesticide is fipronil.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the aggregation pheromone is attractive to stink bug adults of both sexes.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the aggregation pheromone is attractive to stink bug nymphs.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one kairomone attractant is a blend of two or more kairomone attractants.

19. A composition for controlling a hemiptera population comprising at least one at least one aggregation pheromone and at least one kairomone attractant.

20. The composition of claim 19, further comprising at least one pesticide.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] The detailed description set forth below is intended as a description of the presently preferred embodiment of the invention, and is not intended to represent the only form in which the present invention may be constructed or utilized. The description sets forth the functions and sequences of steps for constructing and operating the invention. It is to be understood, however, that the same or equivalent functions and sequences may be accomplished by different embodiments and that they are also intended to be encompassed within the scope of the invention.

[0031] The present disclosure proposes an A&K strategy combining two classes of attractants to maximize its potency and its range of target pests: an aggregation pheromone common in various species of pentatomids; and a blend of plant-produced kairomones. The aggregation pheromone is attractive to stink bug adults of both sexes, as well as to nymphscritical advantages over mating disruption and other adult-specific techniques, as stink bug nymphs can be just as damaging as adults. Plant-produced kairomones (semiochemicals released by one species and responded to by another, as opposed to pheromones, which are produced and responded to by members of the same species) play many roles in influencing insect behavior, including selection of host plants among non-hosts, assessment of suitability of a plant for feeding or oviposition, and initiation or termination of aggregation behaviors. The kairomones, commonly found in multiple plant species, were first identified as potential stink bug attractants as constituents in another A&K formulation being developed to target noctuid moth pests. During field testing of this product, large numbers of stink bugs were found among the bycatch, which led to testing the blend specifically against stink bugs, with the aggregation pheromone added to enhance its potency.

[0032] These pheromone and kairomone attractants will be combined with an effective reduced-risk killing agent, for example, bifenthrin. Bifenthrin is a pyrethroid insecticide, synthetic versions of pyrethrins, insecticidal agents derived from chrysanthemum flowers. It has been approved by the US EPA for use on multiple agricultural crops and even inside homes. These three active components (aggregation pheromone, kairomone blend, and bifenthrin) will be incorporated into a controlled-release matrix, SPLAT, a food-grade wax emulsion that becomes less viscous under agitation, such as by stirring or vibration, allowing it to be applied through a wide variety of manual and mechanized technologies. SPLAT (Specialized Pheromone and Lure Application Technology) is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,887,828, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference herein. This matrix is comprised entirely of food-safe, organic inert ingredients, adheres quickly and effectively to a wide variety of substrates including plant bark and foliage, and has demonstrated a consistent ability to release a broad range of attractants, repellents, phagostimulants, and other behavior modifying chemicals (also known as semiochemicals) at biologically active release rates, enabling season-long control for many insect pests. SPLAT products developed to date have targeted a broad range of insect pests of agriculture and forestry, including moths, beetles, hemipterans, and dipterans, as well as arthropod vectors of disease; sustaining the release of their incorporated AIs at biologically active rates for 2 weeks up to 6 months. Point sources of the presently disclosed compositions, applied in the field as discrete point sources rather than as a ubiquitous cover spray, as with traditional pesticides, will quickly cure and become rainfast, slowly releasing the incorporated attractants over a period of 3-4 weeks. Attractive scent plumes released by these point sources will draw multiple species of adult and nymphal stink bugs to the bait and induce them interact with it, contaminating themselves with a lethal dose of bifenthrin. This intensified exposure will greatly increase the mortality rate of the insects exposed to it, increasing the effectiveness of the application and reducing the likelihood that resistance will develop among the target population.

[0033] Additional advantages of the compositions of the present disclosure include reduced insecticide inputsan application of the compositions will use only a small fraction of the pesticide AI that would be required for a traditional cover spraywhile improving crop yield and quality; reduced impacts on nontarget species due to the inclusion of stink bug-specific attractants and a reduced-risk insecticide; amenability to rapid mechanized application, unlike most semiochemical pest control products, which require manual application; ability to target both nymphs and adult stink bugs of multiple species; and extended field life.

[0034] One aspect of the present disclosure is a composition containing a blend of aggregation pheromone and plant-produced kairomone attractants with a small quantity of a reduced-risk insecticide in a flowable wax-based matrix designed for controlled release of insect semiochemicals (behavior-modifying chemicals), SPLAT (Specialized Pheromone & Lure Application Technology). This encapsulation will ensure that the composition will maintain its efficacy in the field for 3-4 weeks, luring stink bug adults and nymphs across distances to point sources of the composition, inducing them to interact with the insecticide-laced material. This intensified exposure makes it far less likely that the insects will survive the initial application, therefore less likely that a resistant population will arise. The result is a safe, inexpensive, and long-lasting control solution for multiple native and invasive stink bug pests. The commercial market for such a product is vast, due to the extremely broad range of economically important crops damaged by stink bug infestations, both within the US and abroad, including row crops, fruits, vegetables, and ornamental plants. Organic growers will likely be particularly eager to adopt its use, due to the current lack of viable alternatives to conventional insecticides, which cannot be applied in organic crops. Homeowners and home gardeners attempting to deal with stink bug infestations represent an additional commercial market for the product, which will allow these end users to suppress populations of these pests in and around their property using only a fraction of the pesticide that would be required for a traditional application.

[0035] The compositions described herein are an effective, sustainable control product for stink bugs, a pest group with widespread impacts on agriculture. The compositions deliver effective stink bug control in multiple crops with only a fraction of the pesticide used in traditional cover sprays. Inclusion of a blend of pheromone and kairomone attractants draw stink bug adults and nymphs of multiple species to point sources of the product across distances, substantially reducing the amount of material that will need to be applied to achieve adequate coverage of a crop field, and also induce the target insects to interact with the product, intensifying their exposure to an incorporated reduced-risk pesticide, ensuring rapid mortality. Encapsulation of the attractants and killing agent in a controlled-release matrix, SPLAT (Specialized Pheromone & Lure Application Technology), ensures that this attract-and-kill (A&K) product remains effective for 3-4 weeks, providing protection for crops with far fewer applications required than with conventional pesticides. By improving control of a pervasive, highly damaging group of insects-reducing damage in a wide range of important food and commodity cropswith reduced reliance on toxic chemical pesticides, this product addresses several needs of agricultural producers and provides private consumers with a means to deal with nuisance infestations of H. halys in their homes, cars, or gardens.

[0036] A liquid composition is disclosed which when mixed with certain insecticides induces insect, more specifically hemiptera, to respond by attraction, manipulation and phagostimulation of the formulation which causes the insects to have reduced reproductive viability, including death. The composition retains its effect and activity after field application to susceptible founa under normal ambient conditions, maintaining attraction and insecticidal effect for a period of at least twenty-four hours by combining the adjuvant with a specific insecticide. The combination of the adjuvant and the insecticide composition upon application to the field, or vegetation, has the unexpected property of retaining its attraction, phagostimulation and toxic activity throughout the maximum residence time necessary for effective pest control by virtue of the fact that the composition resists being washed by humidity, protecting both insecticide and attractants and phagostimulants, while still allowing insects to feed on, and manipulate, the resulting treatment.

[0037] Initial work on products of the present disclosure consisted of combining the aggregation pheromone and plant-produced kairomone attractants blended with a carbamate pesticide, methomyl, to suppress E. heros populations and crop damage. Since then, the reduced-risk pesticide, bifenthrin, has been utilized. The present disclosure provides one of the first demonstrations of the feasibility of a semiochemical-based technology for pest control for use in row crops, as well as fruit and vegetable crops. Because the product requires only a small percentage of the pesticide used in cover sprays, its use will reduce crop contamination and risks to farm workers, consumers, and the environment.

[0038] The product will be applied at 1.0 L/ha, versus 2.5 L/ha for ultra-low volume pesticides and up to 200 L/ha for conventional pesticides. Because it attracts pests to a killing agent, it does not need to be applied as a blanket spray over the entire area, but instead as a series of discrete point sources covering <5% of the crop. Unlike conventional pesticides, which are dispersed as a mist susceptible to spray drift, it contains only 2% pesticide and is deposited on the surface of the crop as small dollops of 50-100 mg, unsusceptible to crosswind drift.

[0039] The presently discloses compositions provide multiple advantages over conventional pesticides, including reduced threats of resistance due to its capacity to induce intensified exposure through the inclusion of pheromone and kairomone attractants, longer-lasting efficacy, and drastically reduced pesticide inputs, resulting in higher quality crops and reduced risks to workers, consumers, and the environment.

[0040] This composition combines a blend of aggregation pheromone and plant-produced kairomone attractants with a small quantity of a reduced-risk insecticide. This composition is a novel alternative method of insect control. The novelty comes from the functional technical features of the composition and how they work together. The novel composition provides both an efficacious and environmentally friendly control technology for stink bug pests of agriculture. The composition is rainfast, retaining its effect and activity after application maintaining attraction and insecticidal effect for (at least 24 hours).

[0041] The composition is a field-worthy attract-and-kill (A&K) formulation that provides effective, long-lasting control of hemiptera pests with added technical, economic, and social benefits. The claims and benefits include: increased efficacy in comparison to conventional insecticide application at labeled rate; increased mortality rate of the pest due to topical contact and ingestion by the pest; rain fastnesslongevity of insecticidal activity in comparison to conventional insecticide application at labeled rate; reduced insecticide used, about 2% of conventional application at labeled rate; reduction of potential health effects due to reduction in insecticide; reduction of environmental toxicity due to reduction in insecticide; reduction in water used; reduction in application time and fuel/energy use; reduction in grower cost; reduction in beneficial and non-target insect impact; reduction in insect resistance potential (point source of lethal dose & ability to rotate with different insecticides with different modes of action); and reduction of insecticide drift potential (formulation holding reduced insecticide from rapid volatilization).

[0042] Broad-spectrum pesticides are the most common method of control for stink bug pests in agriculture, but this approach has been shown to have major shortcomings. The toxic mode of action of most of these chemicals makes them a threat to human health as well as to other nontarget species, especially beneficial insects such as honeybees and other pollinators. Conventional insecticides have also repeatedly proven susceptible to the development of resistance, the gradual buildup of tolerance to a given chemical in a target pest population, eventually resulting in its loss of efficacy as a control agent.

[0043] This composition provides an alternative control method for stink bug pests that significantly improves upon the efficacy of available conventional pesticides, targeting multiple pest species while drastically reducing the risk of negative non-target and environmental effects and the development of resistance. This composition combines a blend of aggregation pheromone and plant-produced kairomone attractants with a small quantity of a reduced-risk insecticide in a flowable wax-based matrix designed for controlled release of insect semiochemicals (behavior-modifying chemicals), SPLAT (Specialized Pheromone & Lure Application Technology). This encapsulation ensures that this composition will maintain its efficacy in the field for 3-4 weeks, luring stink bug adults and nymphs across distances to point sources of this composition, inducing them to interact with the insecticide-laced material. This intensified exposure makes it far less likely that the insects will survive the initial application, therefore less likely that a resistant population will arise.

[0044] This composition provides a safe, inexpensive, and long-lasting control solution for multiple native and invasive stink bug pests. The commercial market for such a product is vast, due to the extremely broad range of economically important crops damaged by stink bug infestations, both within the US and abroad, including row crops, fruits, vegetables, and ornamental plants. Homeowners and home gardeners attempting to deal with stink bug infestations represent an additional commercial market for this composition, which will allow these end users to suppress populations of these pests in and around their property using only a fraction of the pesticide that would be required for a traditional application.

[0045] This composition delivers effective stink bug control in multiple crops with only a fraction of the pesticide used in traditional cover sprays. Inclusion of a blend of pheromone and kairomone attractants draws stink bug adults and nymphs of multiple species to point sources of this composition across distances, substantially reducing the amount of material that will need to be applied to achieve adequate coverage of a crop field, and also induces the target insects to interact with the product, intensifying their exposure to an incorporated reduced-risk pesticide, ensuring rapid mortality. Encapsulation of the attractants and killing agent in a controlled-release matrix, SPLAT (Specialized Pheromone & Lure Application Technology), ensures that this attract-and-kill (A&K) product remains effective for 3-4 weeks, providing protection for crops with far fewer applications required than with conventional pesticides.

[0046] This composition results in a long-lasting A&K product for stink bugs. This composition combines two classes of attractants to maximize its potency and its range of target pests: an aggregation pheromone common in various species of pentatomids; and a blend of plant-produced kairomones. The aggregation pheromone is attractive to stink bug adults of both sexes, as well as to nymphs-critical advantages over mating disruption and other adult-specific techniques, as stink bug nymphs can be just as damaging as adults. Plant-produced kairomones (semiochemicals released by one species and responded to by another, as opposed to pheromones, which are produced and responded to by members of the same species) play many roles in influencing insect behavior, including selection of host plants among non-hosts, assessment of suitability of a plant for feeding or oviposition, and initiation or termination of aggregation behaviors. The kairomones in this composition, commonly found in multiple plant species, were first identified as potential stink bug attractants as constituents in another A&K formulation being developed designed to target noctuid moth pests. During field testing of this product, large numbers of stink bugs were found among the bycatch, which led to testing the blend specifically against stink bugs, with the aggregation pheromone added to enhance its potency.

[0047] In the US, these pheromone and kairomone attractants will be combined with an effective reduced risk killing agent, for example, bifenthrin. Bifenthrin is a pyrethroid insecticide, synthetic versions of pyrethrins, insecticidal agents derived from chrysanthemum flowers. It has been approved by the US EPA for use on multiple agricultural crops and even inside homes. These three active components (aggregation pheromone, kairomone blend, and bifenthrin) will be incorporated into SPLAT, a food-grade wax emulsion that becomes less viscous under agitation, such as by stirring or vibration, allowing it to be applied through a wide variety of manual and mechanized technologies. SPLAT products developed to date have targeted a broad range of insect pests of agriculture and forestry, including moths, beetles, hemipterans, and dipterans, as well as arthropod vectors of disease; sustaining the release of their incorporated AIs at biologically active rates for 2 weeks up to 6 months. Point sources of this composition, applied in the field as discrete point sources rather than as a ubiquitous cover spray, as with traditional pesticides, will quickly cure and become rainfast, slowly releasing the incorporated attractants over a period of 3-4 weeks.

[0048] The desired pesticide may be present in the formulation in a range from approximately 0.1% to approximately 2%. While many pesticides may be used, depending on the preference, and even multiple pesticides at once, examples of pesticides that may be used with the present formulations include, but are not limited to, thiamethoxam, -cyhalothrin, ethiprole, imidacloprid, cypermethrin, fipronil, and bifenthrin.

[0049] Attractive scent plumes released by these point sources draw multiple species of adult and nymphal stink bugs to the bait and induce them interact with it, contaminating themselves with a lethal dose of bifenthrin. This intensified exposure will greatly increase the mortality rate of the insects exposed to it, increasing the effectiveness of the application, and reducing the likelihood that resistance will develop among the target population. Additional advantages of this composition include reduced insecticide inputsan application of this composition will use only a small fraction of the pesticide AI that would be required for a traditional cover spraywhile improving crop yield and quality; reduced impacts on nontarget species due to the inclusion of stink bug-specific attractants and a reduced-risk insecticide; amenability to rapid mechanized application, unlike most semiochemical pest control products, which require manual application; ability to target both nymphs and adult stink bugs of multiple species; and extended field life.

[0050] The above description is given by way of example, and not limitation. Given the above disclosure, one skilled in the art could devise variations that are within the scope and spirit of the invention disclosed herein, including various ways of dispersing the compositions. Further, the various features of the embodiments disclosed herein can be used alone, or in varying combinations with each other and are not intended to be limited to the specific combination described herein. Thus, the scope of the claims is not to be limited by the illustrated embodiments.