Pest control composition

Abstract

To provide a pest control agent capable of achieving control of agricultural and horticultural pests at a low concentration due to an ingredient which maintains safety for humans, further to provide a pest control agent which has a danger of harmful effects such as damaged appearance reduced to the utmost even when used on crops such as fruit trees, ornamental flowers and the like where appearance is important, and especially to provide a pest control agent which has a sufficient control effect against spider mites which are important pests in agriculture by low concentration spray.SOLUTION: Provided is a pest control composition, comprising: (a) a polyglycerol fatty acid ester containing at least one selected from esters where the polymerization number of glycerol is 3-10, the degree of esterification is 50% or more, and the constituent fatty acid has a carbon chain length of 12-22; and (b) a nonionic surfactant which is a fatty acid ester where the hydrophilic group contains a polyol structure.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a pest control composition. Specifically, it relates to a spraying composition for agricultural and horticultural crops, which has a highly safe polyglycerol fatty acid ester as an active ingredient and contains a nonionic surfactant as an additive.

Background Art

[0002] In order to stably supply agricultural and horticultural crops, the control of pests and diseases is essential. Currently, chemical synthetic pesticides are widely used because of their excellent economy and control effects in controlling these pests and diseases. However, if chemical synthetic pesticides are continuously used, the target pests and diseases may develop drug resistance. In recent years, consumers' awareness of pesticides has increased, and there is a demand for pesticides with high safety for the human body and the environment. Although the control of pests and diseases by biological pesticides such as natural enemies and physical control using films has been confirmed to be effective in some cases, the current cost-effectiveness is not satisfactory.

[0003] Under such circumstances, pest control compositions based on physical actions, different from chemical synthetic pesticides, have been reported. For example, as active ingredients, a water-soluble polymer is used in Patent Document 1, a medium-chain fatty acid triglyceride having 8 to 10 carbon atoms is used in Patent Document 2, and a sorbitan fatty acid ester is used in Patent Document 3 for pest control compositions, respectively. However, in order for these described compositions to exhibit sufficient effects, a high active ingredient concentration is required, and there are concerns about the adverse effects on crops caused thereby (hereinafter referred to as "drug injury" in this specification), so the applicable crops are limited.

[0004] In recent years, improved compositions addressing these issues have been reported. Patent Document 4 discloses a pest control composition containing a polyglycerin fatty acid ester and a nonionic surfactant, which have an HLB of 5 or less and are liquid at room temperature. It is described that this composition exhibits high control efficacy against spider mites and aphids even at a highly diluted solution of 1000 times. Patent Document 5 discloses a pest control agent for plant pests and / or plant diseases, which contains a polyglycerin fatty acid ester as an active ingredient. The polyglycerin fatty acid ester is characterized in that it is an ester of at least one polyglycerin obtained by polymerizing at least one fatty acid selected from fatty acids having 8 to 10 carbon atoms and 3 to 10 glycerin molecules. It is described that this composition exhibits uniformly high control efficacy against a wide range of pests, including mites, thrips, aphids, whiteflies, gray mold, and powdery mildew, when diluted 500 times with water. As demonstrated, using various polyglycerol fatty acid esters allows for the control of pests at relatively low concentrations in spray solutions, thus minimizing the risk of phytotoxicity. However, even with these pesticides, the risk of phytotoxicity remains for some crops, such as flowers. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 7-126105 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-29411 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2006-137728 [Patent Document 4] WO2011 / 108220 publication [Patent Document 5] WO2014 / 058065 publication [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] This invention was made in view of the problems of the prior art, and aims to provide a pest control agent that can control agricultural and horticultural pests at low concentrations using ingredients that are safe for humans. Furthermore, it aims to provide a pest control agent that minimizes the risk of phytotoxicity that would impair the appearance of crops where appearance is important, such as fruit trees and flowers. In particular, it aims to provide a pest control agent that has sufficient control efficacy against spider mites, which are important agricultural pests, even when sprayed at low concentrations. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] As a result of diligent research to solve the aforementioned problems, the present inventors focused on polyglycerol fatty acid esters, which are known to be safe for humans and the environment as food additives, and found that by combining them with a fatty acid ester-based nonionic surfactant, the selectivity of the active ingredient, polyglycerol fatty acid ester, to adhere to target pests can be improved, thereby suppressing the risk of phytotoxicity to plants while obtaining a high control effect against pests at low concentrations, thus completing the present invention.

[0008] In other words, the present invention relates to an invention having the following configurations (1) to (11). (1) A pest control composition comprising (a) a polyglycerin fatty acid ester and (b) a nonionic surfactant, (a) Polyglycerol fatty acid esters have a polymerization number of glycerol 3 to 10, an esterification rate of 50% or more, and the carbon chain length of the constituent fatty acids is 12 to 22. (b) A pest control agent in which the nonionic surfactant is one fatty acid ester selected from the group consisting of glycerin fatty acid ester, polyoxyalkylene glycerin fatty acid ester, polyoxyethylene castor oil, polyglycerin fatty acid ester, sorbitan fatty acid ester, polyoxyalkylene sorbitan fatty acid ester, polyoxyalkylene sorbitan fatty acid ester, and sucrose fatty acid ester. (2)(a) The pest control composition according to (1), wherein the fatty acid constituting the polyglycerol fatty acid ester is selected from the group consisting of lauric acid and oleic acid. (3)(b) The pest control composition according to (1) or (2), wherein the nonionic surfactant comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of polyoxyethylene-modified glycerol fatty acid esters, polyoxyethylene-modified castor oil, polyglycerol fatty acid esters, polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid esters, and polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid esters. (4)(b) A pest control composition according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein the fatty acid constituting the nonionic surfactant is selected from the group consisting of caprylic acid, lauric acid, oleic acid, isostearic acid, and ricinoleic acid. (5)(b) A pest control composition according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein the HLB of the nonionic surfactant is 5 to 17. (6)(b) The pest control composition according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the amount of the nonionic surfactant in the composition is less than that of (a) polyglycerin fatty acid ester. (7) A pest control composition according to any one of items (1) to (6), which does not contain any active pesticide ingredients selected from fungicides, insecticides, acaricides, herbicides, and plant growth regulators. (8) A pest control composition according to any one of items (1) to (7), wherein the pest is one or more organisms belonging to an order selected from the order Hemiptera, Acari, and Thysanoptera. (9) A spray solution obtained by diluting any one of the pest control compositions described in item (1) to (8) with water. (10) A spray solution obtained by adding other pesticides to the spray solution described in (9). A method for controlling pests, characterized by directly spraying the spray solution described in (11), (9), or (10) onto pests or crops in which pests occur. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] The pest control composition of the present invention exhibits excellent control efficacy against pests affecting agricultural and horticultural crops, particularly spider mites. Furthermore, the active ingredient, polyglycerol fatty acid ester, decomposes into low-toxicity fatty acids and polyhydric alcohols, resulting in low environmental impact and high safety. Many of these components have a proven track record of use as food additives, guaranteeing their safety for human health, and thus the pesticide composition of the present invention is extremely safe. The pest control composition of the present invention is advantageous in terms of pesticide cost because it can control pests at component concentrations equivalent to or lower than those of known compositions. In addition, the low component concentration reduces the risk of phytotoxicity to agricultural crops. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] The pest control composition of the present invention is a pest control composition (hereinafter also referred to as "the pest control composition of the present invention" or "the composition of the present invention") containing (a) a polyglycerin fatty acid ester and (b) a nonionic surfactant, and was developed based on the knowledge that it exhibits excellent control effects against pests while reducing the risk of phytotoxicity to plants compared to conventional pest control agents that rely on physical action. In this specification, "pest control" refers to a composition that acts directly on pests belonging to animal orders such as Hemiptera, Acari, and Thysanoptera, and on fungi that cause plant diseases, thereby physically weakening or killing these pests by, for example, coating or partially adhering the pest with the agent to inhibit their activity, or by blocking the spiracles of the pests.

[0011] (a) Polyglycerin fatty acid ester means a compound in which glycerin is polymerized two or more times to form polyglycerin, and some or all of the hydroxyl groups contained in the polyglycerin are ester-bonded to a fatty acid. The "polymerization number" shown below indicates the average polymerization number of glycerin in the polyglycerin. The polyglycerin fatty acid ester used in the present invention is a polyglycerin fatty acid ester obtained by ester bonding of a fatty acid to polyglycerin having a polymerization number of 3 to 10 of glycerin. Examples of polyglycerins with a polymerization number of 3 to 10 include triglycerin, tetraglycerin, pentaglycerin, hexaglycerin, heptaglycerin, octaglycerin, nonaglycerin, and decaglycerin. More preferably, the constituent component is polyglycerin with a polymerization number of 6 to 10. Decaglycerin fatty acid ester with a polymerization number of 10 is particularly preferred.

[0012] (a) Polyglycerol fatty acid esters are formed by esterifying fatty acids with a carbon chain length of 12 to 22. Examples of such fatty acids include lauric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, isostearic acid, oleic acid, ricinoleic acid, linoleic acid, and erucic acid. In particular, from the viewpoint of pest control effect, it is preferable to contain at least one selected from lauric acid, oleic acid, and erucic acid, and more preferably to contain oleic acid.

[0013] (a) The "esterification rate" of a polyglycerol fatty acid ester is an indicator that shows, on average, how many hydroxyl groups (number) of the total hydroxyl groups contained in the polyglycerol constituting the polyglycerol fatty acid ester are ester-bonded to the carboxyl group of the fatty acid (%). The polyglycerol fatty acid ester included in the present invention is suitable if its esterification rate is 50% or more, and more preferably 60-90%.

[0014] (a) The polyglycerin fatty acid ester is a polyglycerin fatty acid ester with an esterification rate of 50% or more, composed of polyglycerin with a polymerization number of 3 to 10 and a fatty acid with a carbon chain length of 12 to 22. More preferably, it is a polyglycerin fatty acid ester with an esterification rate of 60 to 90%, composed of polyglycerin with a polymerization number of 4 to 10 and a fatty acid with a carbon chain length of 12 to 22. In this case, it is preferable that the constituent fatty acid is one or more selected from the group consisting of lauric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, isostearic acid, oleic acid, ricinoleic acid, linoleic acid, and erucic acid. Particularly preferable is a polyglycerin fatty acid ester with an esterification rate of 60 to 90%, composed of polyglycerin with a polymerization number of 6 to 10 and one or more selected from the group consisting of lauric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, isostearic acid, oleic acid, ricinoleic acid, linoleic acid, and erucic acid. In this case, it is particularly preferable that the decaglycerin fatty acid ester has a polymerization number of 10. Examples of these include: tetraglycerin pentaoleate, hexaglycerin pentaoleate, decaglycerin decaoleate, decaglycerin octaerucate, decaglycerin octalaurate, and polyglycerin ricinoleate. Of these, decaglycerin decaoleate is particularly preferred from the viewpoint of pest control effectiveness and the risk of phytotoxicity to plants. Polyglycerin fatty acid esters are commercially available under names such as SY Glister (trade name, manufactured by Sakamoto Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.).

[0015] (b) When the nonionic surfactant is used by diluting the composition of the present invention with water, it enables easy suspension, and due to the physicochemical properties obtained by combining with the above polyglycerol fatty acid ester, it improves the wetting property and adhesiveness to the target plant, pest, or causative bacterium of plant diseases, and is used to obtain a high control effect. The nonionic surfactant in the composition of the present invention includes one or more selected from the group consisting of glycerol fatty acid ester, polyoxyethylenated glycerol fatty acid ester, polyoxyethylenated castor oil, polyglycerol fatty acid ester, sorbitan fatty acid ester, polyoxyalkylene sorbitan fatty acid ester, polyoxyethylene sorbit fatty acid ester, and sucrose fatty acid ester. Preferably, it is at least one selected from the group consisting of glycerol fatty acid ester, polyoxyethylenated glycerol fatty acid chain ester, polyoxyethylenated castor oil, polyglycerol fatty acid ester, polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid ester, and polyoxyethylene sorbit fatty acid ester, and more preferably, it is at least one selected from the group consisting of polyoxyethylenated glycerol fatty acid chain ester, polyoxyethylenated castor oil, polyglycerol fatty acid ester, and polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid ester. (b) The hydrophobic group of the nonionic surfactant is a fatty acid, and its carbon chain length is not limited. However, from the viewpoints of the pest control effect and the risk of phytotoxicity to plants, the fatty acid preferably contains at least one selected from the group consisting of caprylic acid, lauric acid, oleic acid, isostearic acid, and ricinoleic acid.

[0016] HLB (Hydrophile-Lipophile Balance) represents the degree of hydrophilicity and lipophilicity of a surfactant and is an index expressed by numerical values from 0 to 20. A low HLB indicates a surfactant with high lipophilicity, and a high HLB indicates a surfactant with high hydrophilicity. Therefore, surfactants with low HLB are more likely to adapt to hydrophobic systems, and surfactants with high HLB are more likely to adapt to hydrophilic systems. In other words, it can be said that it is an index indicating which system the surfactant is more likely to dissolve into for a water / oil system. The HLB value of the polyglycerol fatty acid ester is obtained by applying the numerical value derived from the following calculation method, which is Griffin's empirical formula. In addition, the following saponification value and acid value use the values analyzed in accordance with the general test methods for food additives and quasi-drug raw material specifications. HLB value = 20(1 - S / A) S: Saponification value of the ester of the surfactant, A: Acid value of the fatty acid constituting the surfactant

[0017] The (b) nonionic surfactant used in the present invention preferably includes those with an HLB of 5 to 17. In the pest control agent of the present invention, from the viewpoints of emulsification property during use, pest control effect, and the risk of phytotoxicity to plants, it preferably includes those with an HLB of 7 to 16, and more preferably includes those with an HLB of 8 to 12.

[0018] The pest control composition of the present invention contains (a) polyglycerin fatty acid ester and (b) nonionic surfactant in any proportion. However, if the amount of (b) nonionic surfactant is too high, the pest control effect may decrease and the risk of phytotoxicity to plants may increase. Therefore, it is preferable that the amount of (b) nonionic surfactant is less than the amount of (a) polyglycerin fatty acid ester. Furthermore, if the proportion of the active ingredient (a) polyglycerin fatty acid ester is too high, the emulsification when diluted with water will be poor, resulting in uneven application of the spray solution and potentially unstable pest control effects. Therefore, more preferably, the mass ratio of (a) polyglycerin fatty acid ester to (b) nonionic surfactant is 1:0.01 to 1:0.9, even more preferably (a) polyglycerin fatty acid ester to (b) nonionic surfactant is 1:0.05 to 1:0.5, and particularly preferably (a) polyglycerin fatty acid ester to (b) nonionic surfactant is 1:0.1 to 1:0.3. Furthermore, in the pest control composition of the present invention, (a) polyglycerin fatty acid ester is usually contained in an amount of 5 to 100% by mass. Also, (b) nonionic surfactant is contained in an amount of 0.1 to 50% by mass. Preferably, (a) polyglycerin fatty acid ester is contained in an amount of 20 to 95% by mass, and (b) nonionic surfactant is contained in an amount of 1 to 30% by mass.

[0019] The pest control composition of the present invention is suitable for use alone as a pest control composition, but it can also be used in combination with any pesticide or contain additive components, as long as the excellent physical properties of the present invention are not lost. For example, such additive components include various active ingredients of pesticides such as insecticides, fungicides, insecticide-fungicides, herbicides, and plant growth regulators. However, since the present invention has a high control effect on pests through physical action and is characterized by a low risk of phytotoxicity to plants, it is preferable to use the polyglycerin fatty acid ester as the active ingredient for pest control and not include other active ingredients of pesticides.

[0020] Other additive components in the present invention include surfactants intended to improve emulsification when the pest control composition is diluted with water, and are not particularly limited. However, other surfactants may significantly alter the physical properties of the present invention and may increase the risk of phytotoxicity to plants. Therefore, it is preferable that the amount of anionic, cationic, and amphoteric surfactants does not exceed the total amount of (a) polyglycerol fatty acid ester and (b) nonionic surfactant, and it is even more preferable that the amount of nonionic surfactants that do not contain a fatty acid ester structure does not exceed the total amount of the polyglycerol fatty acid ester and the nonionic surfactant. The content of the above other surfactants is usually 0 to 30% by mass of the total amount of the composition of the present invention. Preferably it is 0 to 10% by mass, and more preferably 0 to 5% by mass.

[0021] As additive components for the pest control composition of the present invention, various solvents such as animal and vegetable oils, mineral oils, paraffin, water, (poly)ethylene glycol, (poly)propylene glycol, alcohol, ether, ketone, fatty acids, fatty acid esters, and fatty acid amides can be used to adjust the appearance of the composition. In particular, since the composition of the present invention is usually used in a diluted state with water, water can be used in any proportion. Furthermore, (poly)ethylene glycol, (poly)propylene glycol, methanol, and isopropanol are preferred as hydrophilic solvents, and fatty acid esters and fatty acid amides are preferred as hydrophobic solvents. The pest control composition of the present invention can also be used as a solid formulation by impregnating, adsorbing, or retaining the oily component on a solid carrier of minerals or organic materials such as silica gel, clay, silt, bentonite, lactose, and cyclodextrin. The total content of the above-mentioned solvents or solid carriers, excluding water, is usually 0 to 90% by mass, preferably 0 to 50% by mass, and more preferably 0 to 30% by mass, based on the total amount of the composition of the present invention. Other optional additives include defoaming components, foam-suppressing components, coloring components, fragrance components, etc., and are not limited to those components commonly used in pesticides, etc. The content of these optional additives is usually 0 to 30% by mass, based on the total amount of the composition of the present invention.

[0022] The pest control composition of the present invention is used to control pests that occur on agricultural crops such as fruit trees, tea plants, vegetables, and flowers. Examples of pests targeted by the pest control composition of the present invention include mites and insects that damage agricultural crops, belonging to animal orders such as Acari, Hemiptera, Lepidoptera, and Thysanoptera, and it has a particularly excellent control effect against spider mites. Organisms belonging to the order Acari include spider mites, rust mites, and dust mites. Examples of spider mites include the two-spotted spider mite, Kanzawa spider mite, citrus red mite, and apple spider mite; examples of rust mites include the tomato rust mite and citrus rust mite; and examples of dust mites include the tea dust mite. Organisms belonging to the order Hemiptera include aphids, whiteflies, and scale insects. Examples of aphids include cotton aphids and peach aphids, examples of whiteflies include greenhouse whiteflies and tobacco whiteflies, and examples of scale insects include mulberry scale insects. Examples of organisms belonging to the order Thrips include the orange thrips, southern thrips, tea thrips, flat-headed flower thrips, and flower thrips. Examples of organisms belonging to the order Lepidoptera include diamondback moths and beet armyworms. Furthermore, the composition of this invention is also effective in controlling fungal diseases such as powdery mildew that occur on vegetables, flowers, and fruit trees.

[0023] The composition of the present invention is typically used as a pesticide formulation that is diluted with water to form a spray solution for application. By spraying a sufficient amount of this spray solution (hereinafter referred to as the spray solution of the present invention) onto the leaves of plants infested with harmful organisms, it is possible to control harmful organisms in agricultural and horticultural crops. The concentration of polyglycerol fatty acid ester in the spray solution of the present invention is typically 50 to 5000 ppm, preferably about 100 to 2000 ppm. The spray solution can be obtained by diluting and adjusting the composition of the present invention with water so that the concentration of the fatty acid ester in the spray solution falls within the above range. Specifically, the method for preparing the spray solution of the present invention and the method for controlling harmful organisms are described below. A spray solution can be obtained by adding 100 to 10,000 parts by mass of water to 1 part by mass of the composition of the present invention, stirring well, and obtaining a uniform mixture. The harmful organisms can be controlled by spraying a sufficient amount of this spray solution on harmful organisms or crops infested with harmful organisms using a hand sprayer, shoulder sprayer, power sprayer, boom sprayer, speed sprayer, etc., in accordance with conventional methods. The pest control composition of the present invention controls pests by having its active ingredient act directly on them. Despite being a formulation with a physical control effect, the composition of the present invention can achieve a high pest control effect even as a spray solution containing the active ingredient, polyglycerin fatty acid ester, at a low concentration, as described above. [Examples]

[0024] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples.

[0025] Example 1 A pest control composition was obtained by mixing 83 parts by mass of decaglycerin decaoleate (Sakamoto Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.; product name SY Glister DAO-7S, esterification rate 83%) and 17 parts by mass of polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan trioleate (Takemoto Oil & Fat Co., Ltd.; product name New Calgen D-945E, HLB: 11.0).

[0026] Example 2 A pest control composition was obtained by mixing 83 parts by mass of decaglycerin decaoleate (Sakamoto Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.; product name SY Glister DAO-7S, esterification rate 83%) and 17 parts by mass of polyoxyethylene (30) sorbit tetraoleate (Kao Corporation; product name Leodol 440V, HLB: 11.8).

[0027] Example 3 A pest control composition was obtained by mixing 83 parts by mass of decaglycerin decaoleate (Sakamoto Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.; product name SY Glister DAO-7S, esterification rate 83%) and 17 parts by mass of polyoxyethylene castor oil (Takemoto Oil & Fat Co., Ltd.; product name New Calgen D-206, HLB: 5.1).

[0028] Example 4 A pest control composition was obtained by mixing 83 parts by mass of decaglycerin decaoleate (Sakamoto Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.; product name SY Glister DAO-7S, esterification rate 83%) and 17 parts by mass of diglycerin monocaprylate (Sakamoto Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.; product name SY Glister MCA-150, HLB: 8.7).

[0029] Example 5 A pest control composition was obtained by mixing 83 parts by mass of decaglycerin decaoleate (Sakamoto Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.; product name SY Glister DAO-7S, esterification rate 83%) and 17 parts by mass of tetraglycerin monolaurate (Sakamoto Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.; product name SY Glister ML-310, HLB: 10.4).

[0030] Example 6 A pest control composition was obtained by mixing 80 parts by mass of decaglycerin decaoleate (Sakamoto Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.; product name SY Glister DAO-7S, esterification rate 83%) and 20 parts by mass of tetraglycerin monoisostearate (Sakamoto Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.; product name S Face IS-401P, HLB: 8.2).

[0031] Example 7 A pest control composition was obtained by mixing 83 parts by mass of tetraglycerin pentaoleate (Sakamoto Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.; product name SY Glister PO-3S, esterification rate 83%) and 17 parts by mass of polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan trioleate (Takemoto Oil & Fat Co., Ltd.; product name New Calgen D-945E, HLB: 11.0).

[0032] Example 8 A pest control composition was obtained by mixing 90 parts by mass of decaglycerin octaerucate (Sakamoto Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.; product name SY Glister EO-750, esterification rate 67%) and 10 parts by mass of tetraglycerin monoisostearate (Sakamoto Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.; product name S Face IS-401P, HLB: 8.2).

[0033] Example 9 A pest control composition was obtained by mixing 80 parts by mass of decaglycerin octalaurate (esterification rate 67%) and 20 parts by mass of tetraglycerin monoisostearate (Sakamoto Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.; product name S-Face IS-401P, HLB: 8.2).

[0034] Example 10 A pest control composition was obtained by mixing 95 parts by mass of decaglycerin decaoleate (Sakamoto Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.; product name SY Glister DAO-7S, esterification rate 83%) and 5 parts by mass of polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan trioleate (Takemoto Oil & Fat Co., Ltd.; product name New Calgen D-945E, HLB: 11.0).

[0035] Example 11 A pest control composition was obtained by mixing 50 parts by mass of decaglycerin decaoleate (Sakamoto Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.; product name SY Glister DAO-7S, esterification rate 83%) and 50 parts by mass of polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan trioleate (Takemoto Oil & Fat Co., Ltd.; product name New Calgen D-945E, HLB: 11.0).

[0036] Example 12 A pest control composition was obtained by mixing 90 parts by mass of decaglycerin decaoleate (Sakamoto Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.; product name SY Glister DAO-7S, esterification rate 83%), 5 parts by mass of diglycerin monocaprylate (Sakamoto Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.; product name SY Glister MCA-150, HLB: 8.7), and 5 parts by mass of polyoxyethylene oleate (NOF Corporation; product name Nonion O-6).

[0037] Example 13 A pest control composition was obtained by mixing 60 parts by mass of decaglycerin decaoleate (Sakamoto Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.; product name SY Glister DAO-7S, esterification rate 83%), 20 parts by mass of diglycerin monocaprylate (Sakamoto Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.; product name SY Glister MCA-150, HLB: 8.7), and 20 parts by mass of methyl laurate (Kao Corporation; product name Excepearl ML-85).

[0038] Example 14 A pest control composition was obtained by mixing 90 parts by mass of decaglycerin decaoleate (Sakamoto Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.; product name SY Glister DAO-7S, esterification rate 83%), 5 parts by mass of diglycerin monocaprylate (Sakamoto Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.; product name SY Glister MCA-150, HLB: 8.7), and 5 parts by mass of polyoxyethylene sorbitan laurate (Takemoto Oil & Fat Co., Ltd.; product name New Calgen D-941).

[0039] Comparative Example 1 A pest control composition was obtained by mixing 83 parts by mass of decaglycerin decaoleate (Sakamoto Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.; product name SY Glister DAO-7S, esterification rate 83%) and 17 parts by mass of polyether-modified organopolysiloxane (Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.; product name KF-640, HLB: 13.5).

[0040] Comparative Example 2 A pest control composition was obtained by mixing 83 parts by mass of decaglycerin decaoleate (Sakamoto Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.; product name SY Glister DAO-7S, esterification rate 83%) and 17 parts by mass of polyoxyethylene oleyl ether (Kao Corporation; product name Emulgen 408, HLB: 10.0).

[0041] Comparative Example 3 A pest control composition was obtained by mixing 83 parts by mass of decaglycerin decaoleate (Sakamoto Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.; product name SY Glister DAO-7S, esterification rate 83%) and 17 parts by mass of polyoxyethylene oleate (NOF Corporation; product name Nonion O-4, HLB: 11.7).

[0042] Comparative Example 4 A pest control composition was obtained by mixing 83 parts by mass of decaglycerin decaoleate (Sakamoto Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.; product name SY Glister DAO-7S, esterification rate 83%) and 17 parts by mass of polyoxyethylene oleate (Toho Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.; product name Pegnol O-24, HLB: 7.9).

[0043] Comparative Example 5 A pest control composition was obtained by mixing 83 parts by mass of decaglycerin decaoleate (Sakamoto Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.; product name SY Glister DAO-7S, esterification rate 83%) and 17 parts by mass of polyoxyethylene laurylamine (Takemoto Oil & Fat Co., Ltd.; product name New Calgen D-3102, HLB: 6.2).

[0044] Comparative Example 6 A pest control composition was obtained by mixing 83 parts by mass of propylene glycol monolaurate (Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.; product name Type-BP, esterification rate 50%) and 17 parts by mass of polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan trioleate (Takemoto Oil & Fat Co., Ltd.; product name New Calgen D-945E, HLB: 11.0).

[0045] Comparative Example 7 A pest control composition was obtained by mixing 83 parts by mass of sorbitan monolaurate (Takemoto Oil & Fat Co., Ltd.; product name New Calgen D-931, esterification rate 25%) and 17 parts by mass of polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan trioleate (Takemoto Oil & Fat Co., Ltd.; product name New Calgen D-945E, HLB: 11.0).

[0046] Comparative Example 8 A pest control composition was obtained by mixing 83 parts by mass of decaglycerin monooleate (Sakamoto Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.; product name SY Glister MO-7S, esterification rate 8%) and 17 parts by mass of polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan trioleate (Takemoto Oil & Fat Co., Ltd.; product name New Calgen D-945E, HLB: 11.0).

[0047] Test Example 1: Control Test for the Two-spotted Spider Mite (Tetranychus urticae) Bean seedlings at the first compound leaf emergence stage, infested with spider mites at various growth stages, were sprayed with a sufficient amount of a pest control agent diluted 1000 times with water using an electric sprayer and managed in a constant temperature room at 25°C. Six days after treatment, the number of insects inhabiting each leaf was measured. The corrected density index for each example and comparative example composition was calculated using the following formula, and the results are summarized in Table 2. Corrected density index = (Number of insects after treatment in the treated area / Number of insects before treatment in the treated area) × (Number of insects before treatment in the untreated area / Number of insects after treatment in the untreated area) × 100

[0048] Test Example 2: Pharmacokinetic Test (Bean Leaves) A sufficient amount of pest control agent, diluted 100 times with water, was sprayed onto bean seedlings at the first compound leaf emergence stage using an electric sprayer, and the plants were managed in a constant temperature room at 25°C. Three days after treatment, the condition of the plants was evaluated according to the criteria in Table 1, and the phytotoxicity was assessed for each example and comparative example composition. The results are summarized in Table 2.

[0049] Test Example 3: Pharmacokinetic Test (Eggplant Flower) A sufficient amount of pest control agent, diluted 100 times with water, was sprayed onto flowering eggplant plants using an electric sprayer, and the plants were managed in a greenhouse. One day after treatment, the condition of the plants was evaluated for phytotoxicity using the compositions of each example and comparative example according to the criteria in Table 1, and the results are summarized in Table 2.

[0050] Table 1 Criteria for Evaluating Drug-Induced Harm TIFF0007835934000001.tif32102

[0051] Table 2: List of Test Results TIFF0007835934000002.tif138125

[0052] As shown in the results of Test Examples 1-3, the pest control composition of the present invention did not cause serious phytotoxicity symptoms on bean leaves and eggplant flowers despite being diluted to a high concentration of 100 times, and it was found to have a sufficiently high control effect against spider mites even at a low concentration of 1000 times dilution. On the other hand, the comparative examples showed high control efficacy but phytotoxicity symptoms, no phytotoxicity symptoms were observed but control efficacy was low, or phytotoxicity symptoms were observed and control efficacy was low. The details of the test results are explained below. In Examples 1-6 and Comparative Examples 1-5, compositions using various nonionic surfactants were tested, and all compositions of the present invention exhibited high pest control efficacy without any observed phytotoxicity. In particular, polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid ester, polyglycerin fatty acid ester, or polyoxyethylene castor oil is preferred as the nonionic surfactant. In Examples 7-9 and Comparative Examples 6-8, compositions using various polyglycerin fatty acid esters or other fatty acid esters were tested, and all compositions of the present invention exhibited high pest control efficacy without any observed or only minor phytotoxicity. From these results, it was confirmed that the polyglycerin fatty acid ester used in the present invention greatly affects the effect of the present invention, and the constituent fatty acid is preferably oleic acid, with decaglycerin decaoleic acid ester being particularly preferred as the polyglycerin fatty acid ester. Examples 10 and 11 are compositions in which the content of polyglycerin fatty acid ester and nonionic surfactant was changed. In all cases, high pest control efficacy was observed without any or only minor phytotoxicity. However, since the risk of phytotoxicity increases with the amount of nonionic surfactant, it is preferable that the amount of nonionic surfactant in the composition is less than that of the polyglycerin fatty acid ester. Examples 12 to 14 show the composition of the present invention to which a surfactant or solvent has been added. In this way, when the amount added to the composition of the present invention is small and does not significantly affect the physical performance, it is possible to improve the quality of the formulation, such as adjusting the appearance and viscosity and improving emulsification, as well as to obtain sufficient pest control effects, while keeping the risk of phytotoxicity to plants low. [Industrial applicability]

[0053] The pesticide composition according to the present invention has the effect of killing harmful organisms when a spray solution prepared by diluting it with water is applied to crops. Therefore, the pesticide composition according to the present invention is used for the purpose of controlling harmful organisms in agricultural and horticultural plants. The pesticide composition according to the present invention uses polyglycerol fatty acid ester, which is safe for the human body, as the active ingredient and exhibits sufficient pest control effect even when applied at low concentrations. Furthermore, the pesticide composition according to the present invention can be used as an agricultural and horticultural pest control pesticide that minimizes the risk of phytotoxicity that would impair the appearance of crops where appearance is important, such as fruit trees and flowers.

Claims

1. A pest control composition comprising (a) a polyglycerin fatty acid ester and (b) a nonionic surfactant, (a) Polyglycerol fatty acid esters have a polymerization number of 6 to 10 of glycerol, an esterification rate of 60 to 90%, and a carbon chain length of 12 to 22 of the constituent fatty acids. (b) The nonionic surfactant is one fatty acid ester selected from the group consisting of glycerin fatty acid esters, polyoxyalkylene glycerin fatty acid esters, polyoxyethylene castor oil, polyglycerin fatty acid esters (excluding the polyglycerin fatty acid esters in (a) above), sorbitan fatty acid esters, polyoxyalkylene sorbitan fatty acid esters, polyoxyalkylene sorbitan fatty acid esters, and sucrose fatty acid esters, wherein the HLB is 8 to 12. A pest control agent.

2. (a) The pest control composition according to claim 1, wherein the fatty acid constituting the polyglycerol fatty acid ester comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of lauric acid, oleic acid, and erucic acid.

3. (b) The pest control composition according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the nonionic surfactant comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of polyoxyethylene-modified glycerol fatty acid esters, polyoxyethylene-modified castor oil, polyglycerol fatty acid esters (excluding the polyglycerol fatty acid esters in (a) above), polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid esters, and polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid esters.

4. (b) The pest control composition according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the fatty acid constituting the nonionic surfactant is selected from the group consisting of caprylic acid, lauric acid, oleic acid, isostearic acid, and ricinoleic acid.

5. (b) The pest control composition according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the mass of the nonionic surfactant component in the composition is less than that of (a) the polyglycerin fatty acid ester.

6. A pest control composition according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein (a) polyglycerin fatty acid ester: (b) nonionic surfactant = 1:0.05 to 1:0.

5.

7. A pest control composition according to any one of claims 1 to 6, which does not contain an active pesticide ingredient selected from fungicides, insecticides, acaricides, herbicides, and plant growth regulators.

8. The pest control composition according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the pest is one or more organisms belonging to an order selected from the order Hemiptera, Acari, and Thysanoptera.

9. A spray solution obtained by diluting the pest control composition according to any one of claims 1 to 8 with water.

10. A spray solution obtained by adding other pesticides to the spray solution described in claim 9.

11. A method for controlling pests, characterized by directly spraying the spray solution described in claim 9 or 10 with the pest or a crop in which the pest is present.

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