Cooperative effects in pesticides

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During our research programs at Future Tense Ltd., we have become aware of several combinations of components that worked jointly to increase the whole product’s potency as a pesticide. This effect could be a result of several mechanisms:

a) The combined product can eliminate target organisms that are resistant to one of the components (alternative operation).

b) One of the components induces a change in the target organism, making it more vulnerable to the other component (sequential operation).

c) The defensive mechanisms of the microorganism are overwhelmed by the combined effect of several compounds (parallel operation).

d) Other mechanism, yet to be discovered.

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Overall, we have also found the cooperative effect to be an important design principle in pesticides.

Cooperative effects in soil treatment

Soils tend to accumulate various biologically active microbes, (microflora and microfauna) when cultivated over time.

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In most cases, specific crops are made vulnerable to a specific infestation or to a combination of infectious bio agents.

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A customary solution to the problem that has been practiced in the past and present is soil sterilization. This term relates to wholesale eradication of living organisms in the treated area.

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This can be achieved by the application of chemical or physical agents, or both.

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In our research, we accumulate knowledge of the effects of various novel agents for treating soil.

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In particular, the combined effect of respective individual agents is expected to give rise to a general type of soil remediation/fertilization/sterilization effect.

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Some such agents are also effective as foliar pesticides.

Improving the effectiveness of soil pesticides

Another challenge in soil treatment is getting the pesticide to the actual location where it is supposed to act.

 

In order to introduce pesticides into the soil, they must either be immersed in the gaseous medium (air), or in liquid medium (typically water).

 

A pesticide which is not a gas must be able to disperse or, preferably, to dissolve in water in order to infiltrate into the soil.

 

We make the pesticide agent soluble by adapting the formulation or changing the pesticide molecule itself.

 

Moreover, in some of the cases, the additional solubilizing components that are introduced may also provide additional qualities on their own, in line with our principle of cooperative effect.

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