Phytosanitary product and use

Abstract

The present invention relates to a phytosanitary product comprising: (a) 5-85% an active substance selected from paraffin oil, a C7-C20 fatty acid or salts thereof, maltodextrin, pyrethrin, spinosad, azadirachtin, Bacillus thuringiensis, Beauveria bassiana, Cydia pomonella granulovirus, Allium sativum extract, citronella oil, clove oil, rapeseed oil, spearmint oil, orange oil, limonene oil, sunflower oil or onion oil, tea tree extract, eugenol, geraniol, thymol, deltamethrin, lambda cyhalothrin, lecithin, Salix spp. bark, Urtica spp. extract, L-cysteine, Equisetum arvense L., Allium cepa L. extract, Helicoverpa armigera nucleopolyhedrovirus (HearNPV), Quassia amara L. extract, Reynoutria sachalinensis extract, giant knotweed extract; Fallopia sachalinensis; Polygonum sachalinense; white willow bark extract, Yucca schidigera extract and sweet Lupinus albus extract; (b) 5-60% non-ionic surfactant; and (c) 5-80% anionic surfactant.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention is related to the technical field of the agrochemical industry. In particular, it relates to a new phytosanitary product and its use to protect plants against harmful organisms. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Phytosanitary products are chemical mixtures used to prevent, eliminate or control organisms harmful to plants, protecting the plants during their production, storage and transport. These products are, therefore, indispensable in agriculture, both to prevent pests, and to improve yields in agricultural production. However, their use may involve risks and harmful effects for humans, animals and the environment. For this reason, there are very demanding regulations, at both the national and international level, relating to the authorisation of products and active substances which may be used as phytosanitary products. Among the phytosanitary products currently available on the market, there are different pesticides based on paraffin oil as an active substance. In this sense, for example, patent ES2557954 describes a phytosanitary product based on limonene essential oil, which may further comprise paraffin oil. Likewise, patent application ES2830475 describes a synergistic composition comprising paraffin oil and an aqueous suspension of spores of entomopathogenic fungi. Paraffin oil is a type of oil of mineral origin that can have insecticidal, acaricidal and fungicidal action. Its mode of action can be either physical (suffocation, asphyxiation or impediment of gas exchange) or coadjuvant, by improving the adhesion and penetration of the product or products with which it is mixed. However, despite its advantages, paraffin oil can also have a number of drawbacks such as, for example: • phytotoxicity in some sensitive plants when applied in high concentrations and / or at inappropriate times (with humidity, heat, etc.); • toxicity for aquatic organisms (fish, amphibians, etc.); • toxicity for beneficial insects (bees and other pollinators); • environmental impact because, even though it degrades rapidly, it can cause negative impacts on aquatic and land ecosystems due to accumulation; or • human toxicity, and it may be irritating to the skin and eyes if used incorrectly. Furthermore, paraffin oil is a petroleum derivative, so its manufacture depends on a fossil and finite raw material, which has a negative impact on the environment by having a high carbon footprint. There is, therefore, the need to drastically reduce the use of paraffin oil in phytosanitary products placed on the market, while retaining an effective insecticidal, acaricidal and fungicidal action. The phytosanitary product that is object of the present invention provides a solution to said need, presenting a new formulation that, with a lower amount of active substance (paraffin oil) with respect to other currently available phytosanitary products, even being able to be replaced with other active substances, allows for better efficacy results in the protection against harmful organisms affecting plants. DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Therefore, a first object of the invention relates to a phytosanitary product consisting of an emulsifiable concentrate, comprising: • between 5% and 50% by weight, preferably between 15% and 50 % by weight, of at least one active substance selected from a group consisting of paraffin oil (for example, CAS No. 8042-47-5, 97862-82-3, 64742-46-7 or 72623-86-0), a fatty acid with a carbon chain of between 7 and 20 carbon atoms, as well as any of the salts thereof (for example, CAS No. 67701-09-1, 112-05-0 or 110-42-9), maltodextrin (for example, CAS No. 9050-36-6), pyrethrin (for example, CAS No. 8003-34-7, 89997-63-7, 12121-1, 121-29-9, 25402-06-6, 121-20-0, 4466-14-2 or 1172-63-0), spinosad (for example, CAS No. 168316-95-8, 131929-60-7 or 131929-63-0), Bacillus thuringiensis (any strain thereof, such as, for example, CAS No. 68038-71-1), Beauveria bassiana (any of strain thereof, such as, for example, CAS No. 63428-82-0), Cydia pomonella granulovirus (any strain thereof), Allium sativum (garlic) extract (such as, for example, CAS No. 8008-99-9), azadirachtin (margosa extract, such as, for example, CAS No. 11141-17-6 or 84696-25-3), citronella oil (such as, for example, CAS No. 8000-29-1), clove oil (such as, for example, CAS No. 84961-50-2), rapeseed oil (such as, for example, CAS No. 8002-13-9), spearmint oil (such as, for example, CAS No. 8008-79-5), orange oil (such as, for example, CAS No. 8028-48-6), limonene oil (such as, for example, CAS No. 5989-27-5), tea tree extract (such as, for example, CAS No. 6864773-4), sunflower oil (such as, for example, CAS No. 8001-21-6), onion oil (such as, for example, CAS No. 8002-72-0), eugenol (such as, for example, CAS No. 97-53-0), geraniol (such as, for example, CAS No. 10624-1), thymol (such as, for example, CAS No. 89-83-8), deltamethrin (such as, for example, CAS No. 52918-63-5), lambda-cyhalothrin (such as, for example, CAS No. 91465-08-6), lecithin (such as, for example, CAS No. 8002-43-5), Salix spp bark extract (preferably, white willow bark extract, such as, for example, CAS No. 84082-82-6), Urtica spp extract (such as, for example, CAS No. 84012-40-8 or 90131-83-2), L-cysteine (such as, for example, CAS No. 52-89-1), Equisetum arvense L., Allium cepa L. bulb extract, Helicoverpa armigera nucleopolyhedrovirus (HearNPV), Quassia Amara L. wood extract (for example, CAS No. 84604-10-4), Reynoutria sachalinensis extract, Giant Knotweed plant (Polygonum cuspidatum) extract, Yucca schidigera extract (for example, CAS No. 90147-57-2), and an aqueous extract from the germinated seeds of sweet Lupinus albus, as well as any of the combinations thereof; • between 5% and 60% by weight, preferably between 40% and 60%, of at least one emulsifier consisting of a non-ionic surfactant, preferably polyoxyethylene(20)sorbitan monolaurate or polyoxyethylene(20)sorbitan trioleate, as well as any of the combinations thereof; and • between 5% and 80% by weight, preferably between 15% and 60 % by weight, of at least one tackifier and penetrant consisting of an anionic surfactant selected from a group preferably consisting of sodium dioctylsulphosuccinate, docusate sodium, alkyl ether phosphate and alkyl ester phosphate, as well as any of the combinations thereof. In a particular preferred embodiment of the invention, the phytosanitary product may further comprise between 5% and 60% by weight, preferably between 6% and 20% by weight of at least one humectant which may preferably consist of propylene glycol. Likewise, in another particular preferred embodiment of the invention, the phytosanitary product may further comprise between 0.001% and 0.1% by weight, preferably between 0.009% and 0.09 % by weight, of at least one colouring agent. Active substance is understood to mean a substance capable of protecting plants or plant parts or products against pests or diseases, both before and after harvest. In a particular embodiment of the invention where the active substance used in the phytosanitary product is paraffin oil, said paraffin oil will preferably be characterised by comprising: • a percentage of saturated hydrocarbons equal to or greater than 95% by weight, which percentage ensures a low risk of phytotoxicity, derived from the photodegradation of unsaturated molecules. Preferably, the hydrocarbons present in the paraffin oil will be intermediate chain hydrocarbons (between 17 and 31 carbon atoms), which ensure insecticidal and / or fungicidal action and prevent, at the same time, a risk of chronic phytotoxicity; • a percentage of paraffins equal to or greater than 65% by weight, which allows the efficacy of the product as an insecticide, acaricide and / or fungicide to be ensured; • an unsulphonated residue (UR) of more than 90%, which reduces the risk of phytotoxicity; • a purity that complies with the purity criteria established in European Pharmacopoeia 6.0; • a distillation temperature of less than 61°C, derived from a high homogeneity in the hydrocarbon chains, which ensures safety in use. It has been demonstrated that the claimed phytosanitary product, unlike other paraffin oil-based formulations available in the prior art, based on a high percentage of paraffin oil, offers the following advantages: • it allows the cuticle of the exoskeleton of soft-shelled insects and other insects to be dissolved; • it cleans the residues generated by insects on crops; • it has an optimised wetting and coadjuvant effect, making the product easier to apply and more effective; • it decreases spore germination and mycelial growth of fungi; • it dissolves black spot or sooty mould (Capnodium spp). Additionally, the claimed phytosanitary product has the additional advantage that makes it possible to reduce the amount of paraffin oil applied to the plants to be protected, being particularly effective in protecting against insects, mites and fungi. This advantage is fundamental and distinguishes it from the prior art, as it has been shown that the application rate of the claimed product can be 2 to 6 times lower than the application rate of a conventional paraffin oilbased product. With respect to the manufacturing process of the claimed phytosanitary product, it is important to note that this process is not limiting for the invention, as it may consist of a simple mixture of the different components of the phytosanitary product, without being required to be carried out in any particular order. A further object of the invention is the use of said phytosanitary product as an insecticide, acaricide and / or fungicide, protecting plants (including plant products and / or parts, such as fruits or seeds) against harmful organisms, where a harmful organism is understood to mean any pathogenic agent, species, strain or biotype belonging to the animal or plant kingdom which is harmful to plants or plant products, such as, for example, almond tree wasp (Eurytoma amygdali), Xylella fastidiosa (Philaenus spumarius), as well as any species of aphids, mites, psyllids, flies (Drosophila suzukii, etc.), nematodes, snails, slugs, hemiptera, lice, lepidoptera, woodlice (Oniscidea), scale insects, thrips, Aleyrodidae (whitefly), etc. Particularly, the claimed phytosanitary product can be used for the protection of any type of crop, such as, for example, forestry, horticultural or fruit crops, both extensive and intensive, but also for the protection of ornamental plants. Likewise, its efficacy has been demonstrated in both outdoor and indoor crops, regardless of the type of greenhouse (glass, plastic, etc.). The application rate and mode of action of the phytosanitary product is not limiting for the invention, and may vary depending on the type of crop to be protected. As many applications that may be needed can thereby be used during all the phenological stages BBCH 11-89 of the plant. In a general manner, it may be applied by means of foliar application at a rate of 0.25 to 20 litres / ha per application, which corresponds to a range of 0.05 to 4 kg active substance / ha, at a percentage of 0.025 to 2% v / v (L product / L water) and a water volume comprised between 300 and 4,000 L / ha. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the product will be applied a maximum of 3 times during the phenological stage BBCH 11-89 according to the following rates: • between 7.2 and 12 L product / ha (per 3 applications); • between 1.44 and 2.4 kg of active substance / ha (per 3 applications); • between 0.1% and 0.4% v / v (L product / L water), per application; and • a water volume between 300 and 2,000 L / ha, per application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES Accompanying this description is a series of figures in which the following has been depicted with an illustrative and non-limiting character: • FIG. 1 to FIG. 3 show the efficacy results of tests carried out on pear (Pyrus communis) crops to study the control of the pear psylla pest (Cacopsylla pyri) in comparison with the application of a commercial product with a paraffin oil concentration of 80% by weight. Specifically, FIG. 1A shows the results 3 days after the first application, FIG. 1B shows the results 7 days after the first application, FIG. 2A shows the results 3 days after the second application, FIG. 2B shows the results 7 days after the second application, FIG. 3A shows the results 3 days after the third application, and FIG. 3B shows the results 7 days after the third application; • FIG. 4 to FIG. 6 show the efficacy results of tests carried out on pear (Pyrus communis) crops to study the control of the psylla pest (Cacopsylla pyri) in comparison with a commercial product with a potassium salt concentration of 48% by weight. Specifically, FIG. 4A shows the results 3 days after the first application, FIG. 4B shows the results 7 days after the first application, FIG. 5A shows the results 3 days after the second application, FIG. 5B shows the results 7 days after the second application, FIG. 6A shows the results 3 days after the third application, and FIG. 6B shows the results 7 days after the third application; • FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 show the efficacy results of tests carried out on open pepper (Capsicum annuum) crops to study the control of the whitefly pest (Bemisia tabaci) in comparison with a commercial product with an azadirachtin concentration of 2.6% by weight. Specifically, FIG. 7A shows the results 3 days after the first application, FIG. 7B shows the results 10 days after the first application, FIG. 8A shows the results 3 days after the second application, and FIG. 8B shows the results 10 days after the second application. BRIEF DETAILED DESCRIPTION A particular embodiment of the invention corresponding to a specific formulation of the claimed phytosanitary product is described below. In said particular embodiment, the phytosanitary product is characterised in that it comprises: •   21% by weight of an active substance consisting of paraffin oil; •   45.99% by weight of a non-ionic surfactant consisting of polyoxyethylene(20)sorbitan monolaurate or polyoxyethylene(20)sorbitan trioleate; •   18.75% by weight of an anionic surfactant consisting of sodium dioctylsulphosuccinate or docusate sodium; •   8% by weight of an anionic surfactant consisting of alkyl ether phosphate; •   6.25% by weight of a humectant consisting of propylene glycol; •   0.01 % by weight of a colouring agent. In order to test the efficacy of the claimed phytosanitary product, a series of efficacy tests were carried out, applying a dose of 2 to 4 L / ha of the phytosanitary product described above, according to a particular embodiment of the invention. The tests carried out proved the absence of phytotoxicity. The first test was carried out by applying the product on pear (Pyrus communis) crops for the control of the pear psylla pest (Cacopsylla pyri) in comparison with the application of a commercial product with a paraffin oil concentration of 80% by weight, which was applied at a rate of 20 L / hl. Both products were applied three times. The efficacy results are shown in Figures 1 to 3, where the increase in pest control efficacy achieved by the application of the claimed phytosanitary product can be seen, reaching a significant difference in terms of efficacy of almost 10% after the third application, despite having applied 20 times less active substance with the claimed phytosanitary product, in both nymph stages (N1-N3 and N4-N5). In global terms, the claimed phytosanitary product has been shown to be 48% more effective than a paraffin oil-based commercial product at 80% by weight. The second test was carried out by applying the product on pear (Pyrus communis) crops for the control of pear psylla (Cacopsylla pyri) in comparison with the application of a commercial product with a concentration of potassium salts of fatty acids of 48% by weight, which was applied at a rate of 10 L / hl. Both products were applied three times. The efficacy results are shown in Figures 4 to 6, where the increase in pest control efficacy achieved by the application of the claimed phytosanitary product can be seen, being more than 40% more effective than the reference product in the control of psylla nymphs at the N1-N3 stage and more than 10% more effective than the reference product in the control of psylla nymphs at the N4-N5 stage, both after the third application, despite having applied six times less active substance with the claimed phytosanitary product. The third test was carried out by applying the product on pepper (Capsicum annuum) crops for the control of the whitefly pest (Bemisia tabaci) in comparison with the application of a commercial product with an azadirachtin concentration of 2.6% by weight, which was applied at a rate of 100 cc / hl. The efficacy results are shown in Figures 7 and 8, where the increase in pest control efficacy achieved by the application of the claimed phytosanitary product can be seen, being more than 50% more effective than the reference product in the control of whitefly larvae and more than 20% more effective than the reference product in the control of whitefly adults, both after the second application. The efficacies obtained with the claimed product are fully commercial efficacies, greater than 90% in the control of whiteflies.

Claims

1. A phytosanitary product, characterised in that it comprises:a) between 5% and 50% by weight of at least one active substance selected from a group consisting of paraffin oil, a fatty acid with a carbon chain of between 7 and 20 carbon atoms, as well as any of the salts thereof, maltodextrin, pyrethrin, spinosad, azadirachtin, Bacillus thuringiensis, Beauveria bassiana, Cydia pomonella granulovirus, Allium sativum extract, citronella oil, clove oil, rapeseed oil, spearmint oil, orange oil, limonene oil, tea tree extract, sunflower oil, onion oil, eugenol, geraniol, thymol, deltamethrin, lambda-cyhalothrin, lecithin, Salix spp bark, Urtica spp extract, L-cysteine, Equisetum arvense L., Allium cepa L. bulb extract, Helicoverpa armigera nucleopolyhedrovirus, Quassia Amara L. wood extract, Reynoutria sachalinensis extract, Giant Knotweed extract, Yucca schidigera extract and an aqueous extract from the germinated seeds of sweet Lupinus albus, as well as any of the combinations thereof;b) between 5% and 60% by weight of at least one emulsifier consisting of a nonionic surfactant; andc) between 5% and 80% by weight of at least one tackifier and penetrant consisting of an anionic surfactant.

2. The phytosanitary product according to claim 1, wherein the active substance is comprised between 15% and 50% by weight.

3. The phytosanitary product according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the non-ionic surfactant is comprised between 40% and 60% by weight.

4. The phytosanitary product according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the non-ionic surfactant is polyoxyethylene(20)sorbitan monolaurate or polyoxyethylene(20)sorbitan trioleate.

5. The phytosanitary product according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the anionic surfactant is comprised between 15% and 60% by weight.

6. The phytosanitary product according to any one of the preceding claims,wherein the anionic surfactant is selected from a group consisting of sodium dioctylsulphosuccinate, docusate sodium, alkyl ether phosphate and alkyl ester phosphate, as well as any of the combinations thereof.

7. The phytosanitary product according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said product further comprises between 5% and 60% by weight of at least one humectant consisting of propylene glycol.

8. The phytosanitary product according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said product further comprises between 0.001% and 0.1% by weight of at least one colouring agent.

9. The phytosanitary product according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the paraffin oil comprises a percentage of saturated hydrocarbons equal to or greater than 95% by weight and a percentage of paraffins equal to or greater than 65% by weight.

10. Use of a phytosanitary product according to any one of claims 1 to 9 as an insecticide, acaricide and / or fungicide.

11. Use according to claim 10, wherein the product is applied by means of spraying, at an application rate of between 0.25 and 20 litres / ha, between 0.05 and 4 kg active substance / ha, between 0.025% and 2% v / v, and with a water volume comprised between 300 and 4,000 L / ha.

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