Penetration enhancer

Abstract

To provide a penetration promoter that can promote the penetration of plant growth-promoting active organic substances into plant tissues, and an agricultural composition.SOLUTION: A penetration promoter for plant growth-promoting active organic substances includes a mixture of anionic surfactants (excluding sulfosuccinate esters) and nonionic surfactants, free of at least one alkyl (C1-C8) ester from alkyl (C12-C16) acids. An agricultural composition includes (a) the mixture of the anionic surfactants (excluding sulfosuccinate esters) and the nonionic surfactants, free of at least one alkyl (C1-C8) ester from alkyl (C12-C16) acids and (b) at least one plant growth-promoting active organic substance.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to a penetration enhancer. [Background technology]

[0002] Agricultural formulations have been developed to regulate plant growth, with the aim of improving the supply efficiency of cereal and horticultural plants. Surfactants are often used in agricultural formulations to improve the chemical or physical stability of the active ingredients of pesticides, to suppress their degradation, or to improve application performance. In agricultural formulations, especially foliar pesticides sprayed on the above-ground parts of plants, the activity of the foliar pesticide is influenced not only by the activity of the active ingredients themselves, but also by the amount and spread of the spray solution on the surface of the stems and leaves, and the amount absorbed and transferred into the plant tissue. Surfactants are known to assist in the penetration of bioactive ingredients into plant tissue. Surfactants with higher penetration capabilities are desired.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a surfactant composition for agricultural chemical formulations comprising a specific ester-type nonionic surfactant and two specific systems of ester succinate salts.

[0004] Patent Document 2 contains alkyl(C 12 ~C 16 A liquid antipathogenic agricultural composition is disclosed, comprising at least one alkyl (C1-C8) ester of an acid, an anionic surfactant, and a nonionic surfactant. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2000-95606 [Patent Document 2] Special Publication No. 2022-517958 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] It is extremely important to promote plant growth and increase the yield of seeds and fruits that are rich in starch and protein used as staple and regular foods for humans and animals.

[0007] The surfactant composition for agrochemical formulations disclosed in Patent Document 1 aims to improve the application performance of agrochemical active ingredients such as emulsification, dispersion, and application of nucleic acids, and does not disclose the ability to penetrate organic substances having plant growth promoting activity. In addition, the succinic acid ester disclosed in Patent Document 1 has high cost when mass production is considered.

[0008] The liquid antipathogenic agricultural composition of Patent Document 2 is a composition for use as an insecticide, fungicide, nematicide and / or acaricide, and Patent Document 2 also does not disclose penetration of organic substances having plant growth promoting activity.

[0009] An object of the present invention is to provide a penetration promoter that can assist the penetration of a plant growth promoting active organic substance into a plant when appropriately applied to the plant, thereby promoting plant growth, and a composition comprising the penetration promoter. [Means for Solving the Problems]

[0010] The present invention relates to a penetration promoter for a plant growth promoting active organic substance, comprising a mixture of an anionic surfactant (excluding sulfosuccinate esters) and a nonionic surfactant (alkyl (C 12 ~C 16 ) which does not contain at least one alkyl (C1~C8) ester of the acid).

[0011] It is preferable that the nonionic surfactant is an ether-type nonionic surfactant.

[0012] It is preferable that the nonionic surfactant is a phenyl ether-type nonionic surfactant.

[0013] Preferably, the nonionic surfactant is at least one selected from polyoxyethylene lauryl ether, polyoxyethylene cetyl ether, polyoxyethylene oleyl ether, polyoxyethylene stearyl ether, polyoxyethylene behenyl ether, polyoxyethylene 2-ethylhexyl ether, polyoxyethylene polyoxypropylene decyltetradecyl ether, or polyoxyethylene (18) nonylphenyl ether.

[0014] The nonionic surfactant is preferably polyoxyethylene (18) nonylphenyl ether.

[0015] The anionic surfactant is preferably an alkylbenzene sulfonic acid or an alkylbenzene sulfonate.

[0016] The anionic surfactant is preferably at least one selected from decylbenzenesulfonic acid (C=10), sodium decylbenzenesulfonate (C=10), sodium undecylbenzenesulfonate (C=11), sodium linear dodecylbenzenesulfonate (C=12), sodium tridecylbenzenesulfonate (C=13), and sodium tetradecylbenzenesulfonate (C=14), and is preferably sodium linear dodecylbenzenesulfonate.

[0017] Preferably, the plant growth-promoting active organic substance is a plant hormone involved in plant growth or a precursor in the biosynthesis of the plant hormone.

[0018] Preferably, the plant growth-promoting active organic substance is at least one selected from the group consisting of plant growth promoters, growth stimulants, organic elicitors, and functional nutrients, or a precursor thereof.

[0019] Preferably, the plant growth-promoting active organic substance is at least one selected from the group consisting of terpenes, nucleic acids, amino acids, and phospholipids.

[0020] The content ratio of the aforementioned mixture to the total penetration accelerator is preferably 0.05 to 2.0 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the penetration accelerator.

[0021] In the penetration enhancer of the present invention, the ratio of anionic surfactant to nonionic surfactant is preferably 0.1 to 10 by weight. This is because an enhancer containing surfactants within this weight ratio range can efficiently penetrate organic substances into the stems and leaves of plants.

[0022] The present invention (a) A mixture of anionic surfactants (excluding sulfosuccinate esters) and nonionic surfactants (alkyl(C 12 ~C 16 ) Not containing at least one alkyl (C1-C8) ester of the acid; and (b) At least one plant growth-promoting active organic substance This relates to agricultural compositions containing [a specific compound / substance].

[0023] A preferred agricultural composition is one in which the plant growth-promoting active organic substance is a plant hormone involved in plant growth or a precursor in the biosynthesis of a plant hormone.

[0024] A preferred agricultural composition is one in which the plant growth-promoting active organic substance is at least one selected from the group consisting of plant growth promoters, growth stimulants, organic elicitors, and functional nutrients, or a precursor thereof.

[0025] A preferred agricultural composition is one in which the plant growth-promoting active organic substance is selected from the group consisting of terpenes, nucleic acids, amino acids, and phospholipids.

[0026] An agricultural composition in which the nonionic surfactant is an ether-type nonionic surfactant is preferred.

[0027] An agricultural composition in which the nonionic surfactant is a phenyl ether type nonionic surfactant is preferred.

[0028] A preferred agricultural composition is one in which the nonionic surfactant is selected from polyoxyethylene lauryl ether, polyoxyethylene cetyl ether, polyoxyethylene oleyl ether, polyoxyethylene stearyl ether, polyoxyethylene behenyl ether, polyoxyethylene 2-ethylhexyl ether, polyoxyethylene polyoxypropylene decyltetradecyl ether, or polyoxyethylene (18) nonylphenyl ether.

[0029] A preferred agricultural composition is one in which the nonionic surfactant is polyoxyethylene (18) nonylphenyl ether.

[0030] A preferred agricultural composition is one in which the anionic surfactant is alkylbenzenesulfonic acid or alkylbenzenesulfonate.

[0031] It is desirable that the agricultural composition contains at least one anionic surfactant selected from decylbenzenesulfonic acid (C=10), sodium decylbenzenesulfonate (C=10), sodium undecylbenzenesulfonate (C=11), sodium linear dodecylbenzenesulfonate (C=12), sodium tridecylbenzenesulfonate (C=13), and sodium tetradecylbenzenesulfonate (C=14), and an agricultural composition containing sodium linear dodecylbenzenesulfonate is preferred.

[0032] A preferred agricultural composition is one in which the aforementioned mixture is present in an amount of 0.05 to 2.0 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the agricultural composition.

[0033] The agricultural composition is preferably such that the ratio of organic substances for plants to the mixture is 0.1 to 100 by weight, and preferably 2 to 45. Examples of organic substances for plants contained in the agricultural composition of the present invention include terpenes, nucleic acids, amino acids, and phospholipids, which will be described later. For example, a mixture of anionic and nonionic surfactants is 0.5%, to which terpenes are 1%, amino acids are 9%, nucleic acids are 22.5%, and phospholipids are 5%.

[0034] Furthermore, in the agricultural composition of the present invention, the ratio of anionic surfactant to nonionic surfactant is preferably 0.1 to 10 by weight. This is because compositions containing surfactants within this weight ratio range can efficiently penetrate organic substances into the stems and leaves of plants.

[0035] The present invention also relates to the use of agricultural compositions for applying plant growth-promoting active organic substances contained herein to plants.

[0036] The present invention relates to the use of agricultural compositions to improve the permeability of the plant growth-promoting active organic substance to the plant.

[0037] This invention relates to the use of agricultural compositions for foliar application. [Effects of the Invention]

[0038] The penetration enhancer of the present invention can significantly promote the penetration into the internal structure of plants and / or uptake by plants of organic substances having beneficial effects on plants, particularly plant growth-promoting active organic substances. Furthermore, agricultural compositions containing the penetration enhancer of the present invention can significantly increase the penetration into plants and uptake by plants of plant growth-promoting active organic substances, thereby providing a high growth-promoting effect on plants. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0039] [Figure 1]This figure shows the results of the analysis of terpene infiltration in rice. [Figure 2] This figure shows the results of an analysis of amino acid permeability in rice. [Figure 3] This figure shows the results of the analysis of nucleic acid infiltration in rice. [Figure 4] This figure shows the results of the analysis of phospholipid permeability in rice. [Figure 5] This figure shows the results of the analysis of terpene penetration in soybeans. [Figure 6] This figure shows the results of an analysis of amino acid permeability in soybeans. [Figure 7] This figure shows the results of the analysis of nucleic acid permeation in soybeans. [Figure 8] This figure shows the results of the analysis of phospholipid permeability in soybeans. [Figure 9] This figure shows the results of the analysis of terpene infiltration into leaf lettuce. [Figure 10] This figure shows the results of an analysis of amino acid permeability in leaf lettuce. [Figure 11] This figure shows the results of the nucleic acid infiltration analysis in leaf lettuce. [Figure 12] This figure shows the results of the analysis of phospholipid permeability in leaf lettuce. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0040] The penetration enhancer of the present invention is a mixture of an anionic surfactant (excluding sulfosuccinate ester) and a nonionic surfactant (alkyl(C) 12 ~C 16 It is a penetration enhancer for plant growth-promoting active organic substances, containing at least one alkyl (C1-C8) ester of an acid.

[0041] In this invention, "plant" may mean the whole plant, plant organs (e.g., leaves, branches, trunks, roots, fine roots, shoots, fruits, etc.) or plant cells, and more particularly, plant organs such as leaves. As used herein, "plant" includes field crops, vegetable crops and fruits.

[0042] The penetration enhancer of the present invention comprises a mixture of an anionic surfactant (excluding sulfosuccinic acid esters) and a nonionic surfactant, and when applied to plants, can enhance the penetration of plant growth promotion active organic substances into plants. As a result, the uptake amount of the plant growth promotion active organic substance in the plant increases, and an excellent growth promotion effect can be obtained in the applied plant.

[0043] The agricultural composition of the present invention is (a) a mixture of an anionic surfactant (excluding sulfosuccinic acid esters) and a nonionic surfactant (alkyl (C 12 ~C 16 ) acid does not contain at least one alkyl (C1~C8) ester); and (b) at least one plant growth promotion active organic substance which is an agricultural composition comprising the above components.

[0044] In the present specification, "promoting plant growth (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "plant growth promotion") refers to an increase in leaf area, an increase in plant height, an increase in plant weight, an increase in the number or weight of seeds, an increase in the number or weight of grains, an increase in the diameter or length of root cross-sections, and the like. The term "plant growth promotion activity" means having the ability to induce an increase in leaf area, an increase in plant height, an increase in plant weight, an increase in the number or weight of seeds, an increase in the number or weight of grains, an increase in the diameter or length of root cross-sections, and the like in plants.

[0045] The "plant growth-promoting active organic substance" of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it has the plant growth-promoting activity described above. For example, it may be a compound that has effects such as stimulating plant growth, stimulating systemic acquired resistance and systemic induced resistance in plants, or a precursor in the biosynthesis of such compounds. For example, the plant growth-promoting active organic substance may be a plant growth regulator, i.e., a substance for improving plant health, growth and / or yield, a substance for improving the plant's immune response for plant growth, or a precursor in the biosynthesis thereof. Preferably, the plant growth-promoting active organic substance may be a plant growth promoter, a plant growth stimulant, an organic elicitor or functional nutrient, or a combination thereof, or a precursor thereof.

[0046] In the present invention, a sulfosucric acid ester is a compound formed by the dehydration condensation of an alcohol to the carboxyl group of sulfosucric acid, as described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2000-95606 (Patent Document 1), and is represented, for example, by the following formulas [Formula 1] and [Formula 2].

[0047] [Formula 1] TIFF0007923712000001.tif4283[Formula 2] TIFF0007923712000002.tif4184[In equations 1 and 2, R 1 ,R 2 ,R 3 ,R 4 : Hydrocarbon groups with 6 to 18 carbon atoms A 1 ,A 2 ,A 3 ,A 4 : Oxyalkylenes with 2 to 4 carbon atoms A polyoxyalkylene group composed of repeating units, wherein the number of repeating oxyalkylene units is 1 to 10, and the oxyalkylene units comprise 50 mol% or more of oxyethylene units. p, q, r, s: 0 or 1 M 1 Alkaline earth metals M 2[Alkali metals or ammonium]

[0048] Here, the sulfosucrites represented by Formula 1 include: 1) alkaline earth metal sulfosucrite salts having two (poly)oxyalkylene groups in the molecule when p and q in Formula 1 are 1; 2) alkaline earth metal sulfosucrite salts having one (poly)oxyalkylene group in the molecule when one of p and q in Formula 1 is 1 and the other is 0; and 3) alkaline earth metal sulfosucrite salts not having a (poly)oxyalkylene group in the molecule when p and q in Formula 1 are 0.

[0049] Note that R in Equation 1 1 and R 2 These are hydrocarbon groups having 6 to 18 carbon atoms, and include hexyl, octyl, decanyl, dodecanyl, tetradecanyl, hexadecanyl, octadecanyl, 8-hexadecenyl, and 9-octadecenyl groups.

[0050] Also, A in Equation 1 1 and A 2 This is a (poly)oxyalkylene group composed of oxyalkylene units having 2 to 4 carbon atoms, such as oxyethylene units, oxypropylene units, and oxybutylene units, and the oxyalkylene units consist of 50 mol% or more, preferably 100 mol%, of oxyethylene units. The number of repeating oxyalkylene units constituting the (poly)oxyalkylene group is 1 to 10.

[0051] Also, M in Equation 1 1 These are alkaline earth metals such as beryllium, magnesium, and calcium.

[0052] Furthermore, the sulfosucrites represented by Formula 2 include: 1) alkali metal sulfosucrite or ammonium sulfosucrite salts having two (poly)oxyalkylene groups in the molecule when r and s in Formula 2 are 1; 2) alkali metal sulfosucrite or ammonium sulfosucrite salts having one (poly)oxyalkylene group in the molecule when one of r and s in Formula 2 is 1 and the other is 0; and 3) alkali metal sulfosucrite or ammonium sulfosucrite salts not having a (poly)oxyalkylene group in the molecule when r and s in Formula 2 are 0.

[0053] Note that R in Equation 2 3 and R 4 This is R in Equation 1. 1 and R 2 This is the same as what was mentioned earlier, A 3 and A 4 Also, A in Equation 1 1 and A 2 This is the same as what was mentioned earlier.

[0054] Also, M in Equation 2 2 These are alkali metals such as sodium, potassium, and lithium, or ammonium.

[0055] The sulfosuclates represented by Formula 1 and Formula 2 can be synthesized by known methods. For example, maleic anhydride can be esterified with an aliphatic alcohol and / or an aliphatic alkoxy polyalkylene glycol monool in the presence of an acid catalyst to obtain a corresponding maleic acid diester, which is then sulfonated with sodium bisulfite to obtain a sodium sulfosuclate salt. Furthermore, the sodium sulfosuclate salt can be subjected to a double decomposition reaction with an alkaline earth metal chloride to obtain an alkaline earth metal sulfosuclate salt.

[0056] Such sulfosuccinate esters are difficult to handle due to their skin irritant properties, and also present problems such as high synthesis costs when considering mass production. For these reasons, sulfosuccinate esters are excluded from the anionic surfactants of the present invention.

[0057] In the present invention, alkyl(C 12 ~C 16 At least one alkyl(C1-C8) ester of an acid can be selected from the group including natural or synthetic, linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated, modified or unmodified, as described in Patent Publication No. 2022-517958 of Patent Document 2, and the alkyl ester is a compound selected from the group including methyl esters, ethyl esters, propyl esters, butyl esters, isopropyl esters, isobutyl esters, isopentyl esters, 2-ethylhexyl esters, or their constituent components or combinations. 12 ~C 16 At least one alkyl (C1-C8) ester of an acid is derived from an alkyl acid selected from the group including lauric acid, tridecyl acid, myristic acid, pentadecanoic acid, palmitic acid, and combinations thereof.

[0058] Alkyl (C 12 ~C 16 At least one alkyl (C1-C8) ester of the acid is selected from the group including isobutyl laurate, isopentyl laurate, methyl laurate, 2-ethylhexyl laurate, 2-ethylhexyl palmitate, isopropyl laurate, isopropyl myristate, isopropyl palmitate, and combinations thereof.

[0059] As described in Patent Document 2, alkyl(C 12 ~C 16 At least one alkyl (C1-C8) ester of an acid has the ability to dissolve paraffin wax and is said to improve the penetration of active ingredients through the epipicule of target crops or pests. 12 ~C 16At least one alkyl (C1-C8) ester of an acid is lipophilic, and due to the action of the mixture of the anionic surfactant (excluding sulfosuccinate ester) and the nonionic surfactant of the present invention, it penetrates the stems and leaves of plants, inhibiting the penetration of organic substances that are intended to penetrate. For this reason, in the present invention, alkyl (C) esters, which are lipophilic esters, are used. 12 ~C 16 At least one alkyl (C1-C8) ester of the acid should not be included.

[0060] In one embodiment, the plant growth-promoting active organic substance is a plant hormone involved in plant growth or a precursor in the biosynthesis of plant hormones. Examples of plant hormones involved in plant growth include plant hormones that have physiological effects such as root elongation, fruit setting promotion, increased fruit yield, flower bud formation promotion, ovary growth (enlargement) promotion, and improved pod formation rate, and also include organic compounds with similar activity. For example, it may be auxin, gibberellin, cytokinin, abscisic acid, brassinosteroids, or their precursors. Examples of precursors include terpenes, amino acids, and nucleic acids.

[0061] Furthermore, organic substances for plants may also be substances involved in metabolism, specifically phospholipids.

[0062] The penetration enhancer of the present invention can enhance the uptake of the above-mentioned plant growth-promoting active organic substances by plants. Furthermore, by using the agricultural composition of the present invention, the delivery of the plant growth-promoting active organic substances contained in the agricultural composition into plant tissue is increased, thus providing an agricultural composition with high biological activity.

[0063] When organic substances are applied to the stems and leaves of plants, their biological activity may be influenced by the ability of the organic substances to penetrate the wax-cuticle layer on the plant surface and the mobility of the organic substances to enter the intra-leaf tissue through the multilayer barrier of the leaves. The mixture of the anionic surfactant (excluding sulfosuclicic acid ester) and the nonionic surfactant of the present invention can promote the penetration and permeation of organic substances into the wax-cuticle layer. Therefore, the mixture of the anionic surfactant (excluding sulfosuclicic acid ester) and the nonionic surfactant of the present invention is thought to have a droplet wetting effect that expands droplets of spray solution attached to plants, increasing the contact area, and a cuticle membrane activating effect that promotes the diffusion rate within the cuticle membrane by permeating into the cuticle membrane.

[0064] The agricultural composition of the present invention contains a mixture of an anionic surfactant (excluding sulfosuclicic acid ester) and a nonionic surfactant, which have the effect of promoting the penetration and permeation of the above-mentioned organic substances into the wax-cuticle layer, and can significantly enhance the effectiveness of the plant growth-promoting active organic substances it contains. It is believed that improved efficacy can be achieved with a smaller amount of agricultural composition compared to conventional agricultural compositions containing similar plant growth-promoting active organic substances.

[0065] In the mixture of anionic surfactant and nonionic surfactant used in the present invention, the nonionic surfactant is an ether-type nonionic surfactant. Preferably, the nonionic surfactant is a phenyl ether-type nonionic surfactant. More preferably, the nonionic surfactant is at least one selected from polyoxyethylene lauryl ether, polyoxyethylene cetyl ether, polyoxyethylene oleyl ether, polyoxyethylene stearyl ether, polyoxyethylene behenyl ether, polyoxyethylene 2-ethylhexyl ether, polyoxyethylene polyoxypropylene decyltetradecyl ether, and polyoxyethylene (18) nonylphenyl ether.

[0066] In the mixture of anionic surfactant and nonionic surfactant used in the present invention, it is preferable that the anionic surfactant does not contain sulfosucric acid ester. This is because sulfosucric acid ester is generally poorly biodegradable and has a high environmental impact. Preferably, the anionic surfactant is alkylbenzenesulfonic acid or alkylbenzenesulfonate salt, specifically at least one selected from decylbenzenesulfonic acid (C=10), sodium decylbenzenesulfonate (C=10), sodium undecylbenzenesulfonate (C=11), sodium linear dodecylbenzenesulfonate (C=12), sodium tridecylbenzenesulfonate (C=13), and sodium tetradecylbenzenesulfonate (C=14), with sodium linear dodecylbenzenesulfonate being preferred. In the penetration enhancer and agricultural composition of the present invention, it is most preferable to use a combination of polyoxyethylene (18) nonylphenyl ether and sodium linear dodecylbenzenesulfonate as the surfactant component. This can provide remarkably high permeability of plant growth-promoting active organic substances into plant tissues.

[0067] Examples of the above-mentioned plant growth-promoting active organic substances include at least one selected from the group consisting of terpenes, nucleic acids, amino acids, and phospholipids.

[0068] Terpenes are precursors in the biosynthesis of gibberellins, plant hormones that have physiological effects such as increasing fruit yield, promoting flower bud formation, and ovary growth.

[0069] Any terpene can be suitably used as the terpene, but monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, diterpenes, and their derivatives are preferred. Particularly preferred examples include monoterpenes such as α-pinene, β-pinene, silvestrene, and limonene, which are desirable because they are core substances of plant hormones. Furthermore, terpineol may also be included. Terpineol includes isomers such as α-terpineol, β-terpineol, and γ-terpineol, but α-terpineol is even more preferred. However, for example, commercially available terpineol may be a mixture of α-terpineol as the main component with β-terpineol and γ-terpineol, meaning that a mixture of isomers can be used as is as long as it mainly contains α-terpineol. Pine oil containing α-pinene as the main component can be suitably used in the present invention.

[0070] Nucleic acids are precursors in the biosynthesis of various plant hormones involved in plant growth, such as cytokinins. By applying nucleic acids, the biosynthesis of plant hormones in the plant can be increased. Cytokinins are plant hormones that promote cell division in plants and have physiological effects such as promoting leaf greening and plant growth, suppressing flower and pod drop, promoting pod elongation, and increasing the grain yield and / or number of grains per plant.

[0071] In this specification, the term "nucleic acid" means at least one selected from nucleic acid bases, nucleosides, ribonucleotides, and deoxyribonucleotides.

[0072] The nucleic acids of the present invention are not particularly limited and include five common nucleic acid bases, namely adenine, guanine, thymine, cytosine, and uracil; five nucleosides, namely adenosine, guanosine, thymidine, cytidine, and uridine; these five ribonucleosides; and 15 ribonucleotides formed by esterifying these five nucleosides with 1 to 3 phosphate groups (AMP (adenosine monophosphate), ADP (adenosine diphosphate), ATP (adenosine triphosphate), GMP (guanosine monophosphate), GDP (guanosine diphosphate), GTP (guanosine triphosphate), and TMP (thymidylic acid / thymidine phosphate)). , TDP (thymidine diphosphate), TTP (thymidine triphosphate), CMP (cytidine monophosphate), CDP (cytidine diphosphate), CTP (cytidine triphosphate), UMP (uridine monophosphate), UDP (uridine diphosphate), UTP (uridine triphosphate), or 15 types of deoxyribonucleotides in which the hydroxyl group at position 2 of the ribose of these ribonucleotides is replaced with hydrogen (dAMP, dADP, dATP, dGMP, dGDP, dGTP, dTMP, dTDP, dTTP, dCMP, dCDP, dCTP, dUMP, dUDP, dUTP), 5-methyluridine (m 5 Modified bases such as U) may be appropriately selected, or a mixture of two or more of these may be used.

[0073] Amino acids are an important nitrogen source in plants and are the building blocks of proteins that perform a wide range of functions in plant metabolism. Amino acids can be used as metabolites and precursors involved in the biosynthesis of various enzymes and plant hormones involved in plant growth, as well as precursors for various secondary compounds.

[0074] The amino acids used in the present invention are not particularly limited and may be appropriately selected from isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, valine, histidine, tyrosine, cysteine, aspartic acid, asparagine, serine, glutamic acid, glutamine, proline, glycine, alanine, and arginine, or a mixture of two or more of these.

[0075] Phospholipids have effects such as enhancing cell membrane repair. The phospholipids used in the present invention may be naturally occurring phospholipids or synthetic phospholipids. For example, naturally occurring phospholipids include soy lecithin, egg lecithin, hydrogenated soy lecithin, hydrogenated egg lecithin, sphingosine, ganglioside, and phytosphingosine, and may also be mixtures of two or more of these. Examples of synthetic phospholipids include diacylglycerol, phosphatidic acid, phosphocholine, phosphoethanolamine, phosphoglycerol, phosphoserine, mixed-chain phospholipids, lysophospholipids, and pegylated phospholipids, and may also be mixtures of two or more of these.

[0076] The penetration enhancers and agricultural compositions of the present invention may be provided in solid form. For example, solid dosage forms include powder, hydrated powder, water-soluble powder, powdery powder, flow dust, crystals, granules, encapsulated granules, fine granules, micro-granules, pellets, tablets, flakes, etc. Alternatively, the penetration enhancers and agricultural compositions of the present invention may be provided in liquid form. For example, liquid dosage forms include solutions, concentrated solutions, aqueous solutions, suspensions, microcapsule suspensions, pastes, slurries, gels, liquid-soluble gels, etc. Preferably, the penetration enhancers and agricultural compositions of the present invention are formulated in liquid form, further comprising a solvent. The solvent used is preferably water, because it readily dissolves anionic and nonionic surfactants.

[0077] In the penetration enhancer or agricultural composition of the present invention, the mixture of anionic surfactant and nonionic surfactant is preferably about 0.05 to 2 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the penetration enhancer or agricultural composition. Furthermore, the ratio of the plant growth promoting active organic substance in the agricultural composition of the present invention to the mixture of anionic surfactant and nonionic surfactant is preferably 0.1 to 100 by weight, and may be 2 to 45. This effectively promotes the penetration of the plant growth promoting active organic substance contained in the agricultural composition into plant tissue.

[0078] In the penetration enhancer and agricultural composition of the present invention, the ratio of anionic surfactant to nonionic surfactant is preferably 0.1 to 10 by weight. An enhancer containing surfactants within this weight ratio range can efficiently penetrate organic substances into the stems and leaves of plants.

[0079] The application rate of the agricultural composition according to the present invention can be varied within a wide range, depending on the characteristics of the specific plant growth-promoting active organic substances contained in the agricultural composition and the amounts thereof in the agricultural composition. The content ratio of the plant growth-promoting active organic substances in the agricultural composition of the present invention may also be appropriately selected depending on the characteristics of the specific plant growth-promoting active organic substances contained in the agricultural composition, and to be suitable for an effective application rate of the plant growth-promoting active organic substances to plants.

[0080] The present invention relates to a method for improving the penetration of plant growth-promoting active organic substances into plant tissues by using the penetration enhancer of the present invention, and a method for improving the uptake and / or absorption of plant growth-promoting active organic substances by plant tissues.

[0081] The penetration enhancer of the present invention can be used to enhance plant growth and / or yield. Therefore, the present invention relates to a method for enhancing plant growth and / or yield by applying the penetration enhancer of the present invention. The penetration enhancer of the present invention can be applied to plants in any way, depending on the type and characteristics of the plant growth-promoting active organic substance whose uptake by the plant is to be promoted. For example, it can be used as a wettable powder suspended in water, or it may be used as a spray or immersion agent that comes into contact with the stems, leaves, and roots of plants. Specific application methods can be appropriately selected depending on the cultivated plants to be treated and the form of use, but examples include ground liquid spraying, aerial liquid spraying, surface spraying, application in facilities, surface treatment such as coating, application in seedling trays, single flower treatment, and treatment at the base of the plant. For example, the penetration enhancer of the present invention can be applied to plants by spraying.

[0082] The agricultural compositions of the present invention may further contain, if necessary, agriculturally acceptable agents commonly used in pesticide formulations and the like. These agents are not particularly limited, but include, for example, diluents, freeze-thaw stabilizers, biocides, preservatives, pigments, dyes, colorants, buffers or pH adjusters or neutralizers, foam inhibitors or defoamers, ultraviolet absorbers, ultraviolet scatterers, and stabilizers. Such agents are commercially manufactured and available through various companies. In this specification, "agriculturally acceptable agents" means agents known and acceptable in the art for the preparation of compositions for agricultural or horticultural use.

[0083] Various plants and plant parts can be effectively treated using the agricultural compositions according to the present invention. The agricultural compositions according to the present invention can deliver plant growth-promoting active organic substances to plants and / or their habitat in a particularly advantageous manner. Therefore, the present invention encompasses the use of the agricultural compositions according to the present invention for applying the plant growth-promoting active organic substances contained herein to plants. By using the agricultural compositions according to the present invention, an enhanced plant growth-promoting effect can be obtained with a smaller application amount of plant growth-promoting active organic substances.

[0084] The present invention further relates to the use of the agricultural composition according to the present invention to improve the permeability of the plant growth-promoting active organic substances contained herein to plants.

[0085] Treatment of plants and plant parts using the agricultural composition of the present invention can be carried out directly, for example by immersion, spraying, misting, or coating, according to conventional treatment methods, or by acting on the surrounding environment, habitat, or storage area. In particular, the present invention relates to the use of the agricultural composition of the present invention for foliar spraying. [Examples]

[0086] The present invention will be described based on examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0087] • Preparation of penetration-promoting agent solution [Example 1] [Example 1] 5g of polyoxyethylene (18) nonylphenyl ether (manufactured by Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd.) and 5g of linear dodecylbenzenesulfonate sodium (manufactured by Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd.) were dissolved in 2000mL of deionized water to prepare osmosis enhancer solution 1.

[0088] [Comparative Example 1] As a control, deionized water was used as the osmosis enhancer solution 2.

[0089] [Comparative Example 2] 2.16 g of potassium carbonate (manufactured by Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd.) and 2.8 g of dipotassium hydrogen phosphate (manufactured by Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd.) were dissolved in 130 mL of distilled water. 0.2 mL of the resulting solution was diluted to 2000 mL with deionized water to prepare osmosis enhancer solution 3.

[0090] [Comparative Example 3] 5.8 g of 90% pure linoleic acid (manufactured by NOF Corporation) was dispersed in 130 mL of distilled water with 2.16 g of potassium carbonate (manufactured by Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd.) and 2.8 g of dipotassium hydrogen phosphate (manufactured by Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd.). 0.2 mL of the resulting solution was diluted to 2000 mL with deionized water to obtain penetration enhancer solution 4.

[0091] [Comparative Example 4] 10 g of polyoxyethylene (18) nonylphenyl ether (manufactured by Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd.) was dissolved in 2000 mL of deionized water to prepare osmosis enhancer solution 5.

[0092] [Comparative Example 5] 10 g of linear sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate (manufactured by Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd.) was dissolved in 2000 mL of deionized water to prepare osmosis enhancer solution 6.

[0093] • Preparation of test permeate solution A) For terpene penetration testing Each of the 2000 mL of penetration enhancer solutions 1-6 was prepared by adding 40 μL (20 mg) of pine oil (manufactured by ease) to each solution, and these solutions were used as penetrant solutions for terpene testing.

[0094] B) For amino acid penetration testing Each of the 2000 mL penetration enhancer solutions 1-6 was prepared by dissolving 180 mg of ground amino acid supplement (FANCL Corporation product name: Multi-Amino Acid (ingredients: isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, valine, histidine, tyrosine, cysteine, aspartic acid, asparagine, serine, glutamic acid, glutamine, proline, glycine, alanine, arginine)) in a solution prepared for amino acid testing.

[0095] C) For nucleic acid penetration testing Each of the 2000 mL of penetration enhancer solutions 1-6 was prepared by dissolving 450 mg of crushed nucleic acid granules (manufactured by Kenko Oendan Co., Ltd.) in each solution to create the nucleic acid test penetration solution.

[0096] D) For phospholipid penetration testing Each of the 2000 mL of penetration enhancer solutions 1-6 was prepared by dispersing 100 mg of soy-derived lecithin (manufactured by Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd.) in each solution, and these solutions were used as phospholipid testing osmotic solutions.

[0097] • Permeability testing of various organic substances using test permeants i) Permeability test in rice Rice (variety: Nipponbare) seeds were soaked in water for 5 days in an artificial climate chamber (LH-60FL3-DT: manufactured by Nippon Medical Instruments Co., Ltd.) at a temperature of 15°C with the lights off, and then the temperature was raised to 30°C for half a day. The resulting pigeon-breast shaped seeds were sown at a rate of 4 seeds per cell in a 72-cell tray filled with sterilized seed-starting soil (manufactured by Takii Seed Co., Ltd.). The plants were grown in the artificial climate chamber in a cycle of 14 hours at 28°C with fluorescent lights and 10 hours at 23°C with the lights off, until they reached the 2-leaf stage.

[0098] Uniformly sized leaves weighing 0.1 to 0.12 g were separated from the stems and immersed one leaf at a time in a 9 cm diameter petri dish containing 10 mL of each test permeate, leaving 1 cm from the cut end. The dish was then covered. After 10, 30, and 60 minutes, the leaves were removed from the petri dish, washed with a large amount of deionized water, and then wiped with Kimwipes to remove any adhering components and water. The permeability test was performed with a sample size of N=3 for each test permeate. The obtained leaves were immediately transferred to a -80°C freezer and frozen for 24 hours.

[0099] To the frozen sample described above, a mixture of ethanol, water, and acetic acid (80:20:1) was added at a concentration of 1 mL of the mixture per 0.1 g of sample. After adding the mixture, the sample was crushed using beads, followed by sonication for 10 minutes. After the treatment, the sample was allowed to stand for 1 hour, and then centrifuged at 3000 rpm for 5 minutes using a centrifuge (himac CT6E: manufactured by Eppendorf Himac Technologies, Ltd.). The supernatant was filtered through a membrane filter to obtain the analytical sample.

[0100] ii) Permeability test in soybeans Soybean seeds (variety: Fukuyutaka) were sown four times per pot in a 3-inch pot filled with vegetable and flower seed-starting soil (manufactured by Takii Seed Co., Ltd.). The plants were grown for 20 days in an artificial climate chamber (LH-60FL3-DT: manufactured by Nippon Ika Kikai Seisakusho Co., Ltd.) with a daily cycle of 14 hours at 25°C under fluorescent lights and 10 hours at 20°C with the lights off.

[0101] New leaves weighing 0.27-0.30 g and of uniform size were separated from the stems and placed one by one in a 9 cm diameter petri dish. Cotton wool cut to 1.5 cm x 1.5 cm x 0.5 cm, soaked in 2 mL of each test permeate, was placed on the upper surface of each leaf, and the dish was covered. After 10, 30, and 60 minutes, the leaves were removed from the petri dish, washed with a large amount of deionized water, and the surface was wiped with Kimwipes to remove any attached components and water. The permeability test was performed with a sample size of N=3 for each test permeate at each time point. The obtained leaves were immediately transferred to a -80°C freezer and frozen for 24 hours.

[0102] To the frozen sample described above, a mixture of ethanol, water, and acetic acid (80:20:1) was added at a concentration of 1 mL of the mixture per 0.1 g of sample. After adding the mixture, the sample was crushed using beads, followed by sonication for 10 minutes. After the treatment, the sample was allowed to stand for 1 hour, and then centrifuged at 3000 rpm for 5 minutes using a centrifuge (himac CT6E: manufactured by Eppendorf Himac Technologies, Ltd.). The supernatant was filtered through a membrane filter to obtain the analytical sample.

[0103] iii) Permeability test in leaf lettuce Leaf lettuce (variety: Grand Rapid) seeds were sown in a 200-cell seedling tray filled with vegetable and flower seed-starting soil (manufactured by Takii Seed Co., Ltd.). Germination was carried out in an artificial climate chamber (LH-60FL3-DT: manufactured by Nippon Ika Kikai Seisakusho Co., Ltd.) with a daily cycle of 14 hours at 23°C under fluorescent light and 10 hours at 20°C with the lights off. Seedlings were grown under the same conditions, and when they had 2-3 true leaves, they were transplanted into 6cm pots and grown until they had 4-5 true leaves.

[0104] From the outer leaves, uniformly sized leaves weighing 0.45-0.50 g were separated from the stems and placed one by one in a 9 cm diameter petri dish. Cotton wool cut to 1.5 cm x 1.5 cm x 0.5 cm, soaked in 2 mL of each test permeate, was placed on the upper surface of each leaf, and the dish was covered. After 10, 30, and 60 minutes, the leaves were removed, washed with a large amount of deionized water, and the surface was wiped with Kimwipes to remove any adhering components and water. The permeability test was performed with a sample size of N=3 for each test permeate at each time point. The obtained leaves were immediately transferred to a -80°C freezer and frozen for 24 hours.

[0105] To the frozen sample described above, a mixture of ethanol, water, and acetic acid (80:20:1) was added at a concentration of 1 mL of the mixture per 0.1 g of sample. After adding the mixture, the sample was crushed using beads, followed by sonication for 10 minutes. After the treatment, the sample was allowed to stand for 1 hour, and then centrifuged at 3000 rpm for 5 minutes using a centrifuge (himac CT6E: manufactured by Eppendorf Himac Technologies, Ltd.). The supernatant was filtered through a membrane filter to obtain the analytical sample.

[0106] • Analysis of the permeability of each organic substance A) Analysis of terpene penetration The terpene content of the analytical samples was analyzed using an LC-MS / MS instrument (LC section: DIONEX Ultimate3000, MS / MS section: Q Exactive Focus: Thermo Fisher Scientific K.K.) under the following conditions: Column = Aclaim PR-MS 2.1 mmφ × 150 mm (Thermo Fisher Scientific K.K.), Solvent = 60% acetonitrile / aqueous acetate → 95% acetonitrile / aqueous acetate, Flow rate = 0.25 mL / min, Column temperature = 40°C, Detection = MS-(SIM), Introduction = 2 μL of sample solution. The terpene content of α-pinene contained in pine oil (ease Inc.) was quantified from the MS- peak area value, and the amount of terpene penetration into the leaf tissue was compared using each penetration enhancer solution 1-6 (Example 1, and Comparative Examples 1-5).

[0107] The results for rice are shown in Figure 1, the results for soybeans in Figure 5, and the results for leaf lettuce in Figure 9.

[0108] B) Analysis of amino acid permeability The amino acid content of the analytical samples was analyzed using an LC-MS / MS instrument (LC section: DIONEX Ultimate3000, MS / MS section: Q Exactive Focus: Thermo Fisher Scientific Co., Ltd.) under the following conditions: Column = Aclaim PR-MS 2.1 mmφ × 150 mm (Thermo Fisher Scientific Co., Ltd.), Solvent = 0% acetonitrile / acetic acid solution → 30% acetonitrile / acetic acid solution, Flow rate = 0.25 mL / min., Column temperature = 40°C, Detection = MS-(SIM), Introduction = 2 μL of sample solution. The amount of valine, which is the slowest-metabolizing amino acid in plants among the amino acids contained in the amino acid supplement (FANCL Corporation, product name: Multi-Amino Acid), was quantified from the MS- peak area value, and the amount of amino acid penetration into leaf tissue was compared using each penetration enhancer solution 1-6 (Example 1, and Comparative Examples 1-5). Since amino acids are naturally present in leaves, the average value of the amino acid content analysis of 5 untreated leaves was subtracted for evaluation.

[0109] The results for rice are shown in Figure 2, the results for soybeans in Figure 6, and the results for leaf lettuce in Figure 10.

[0110] C) Analysis of nucleic acid permeability The nucleic acid content of the analytical samples was analyzed using an LC-MS / MS instrument (LC section: DIONEX Ultimate3000, MS / MS section: Q Exactive Focus: Thermo Fisher Scientific K.K.) under the following conditions: Column = Aclaim PR-MS 2.1 mmφ × 150 mm (Thermo Fisher Scientific K.K.), Solvent = 0% acetonitrile / acetic acid solution → 30% acetonitrile / acetic acid solution, Flow rate = 0.25 mL / min., Column temperature = 40°C, Detection = MS-(SIM), Introduction = 2 μL of sample solution. The amount of adenosine monophosphate, which has the slowest metabolism in plants among the nucleic acids contained in nucleic acid granules (Health Support Group Co., Ltd.), was quantified from the MS- peak area value, and the amount of nucleic acid penetration into leaf tissue was compared using each penetration enhancer solution 1-6 (Example 1, and Comparative Examples 1-5). Since nucleic acids are naturally present in leaves, the evaluation was performed by subtracting the average value of nucleic acid analysis values ​​from five untreated leaves.

[0111] The results for rice are shown in Figure 3, the results for soybeans in Figure 7, and the results for leaf lettuce in Figure 11.

[0112] D) Analysis of phospholipid permeability The phospholipid content of the analytical samples was analyzed using an LC-MS / MS instrument (LC section: DIONEX Ultimate3000, MS / MS section: Q Exactive Focus: Thermo Fisher Scientific K.K.) under the following conditions: Column = Aclaim PR-MS 2.1 mmφ × 150 mm (Thermo Fisher Scientific K.K.), Solvent = 90% acetonitrile / aqueous acetate → 100% acetonitrile / aqueous acetate, Flow rate = 0.25 mL / min, Column temperature = 40°C, Detection = MS-(SIM), Introduction = 2 μL of sample solution. The phospholipid content of phosphatidylcholine (C16:C16) contained in soybean-derived lecithin (Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd.) was quantified from the MS- peak area value, and the amount of phospholipid penetration into the leaf tissue was compared using each penetration enhancer solution 1-6 (Example 1, and Comparative Examples 1-5). Since phospholipids are naturally present in leaves, the evaluation was performed by subtracting the average value of the phospholipid analysis of five untreated leaves.

[0113] The results for rice are shown in Figure 4, the results for soybeans in Figure 8, and the results for leaf lettuce in Figure 12.

[0114] As shown in Figures 1-12, when the penetration-promoting solution of the present invention (Example 1), which contains a mixture of anionic and nonionic surfactants, was applied to the leaves of plants, more plant growth-promoting active organic substances were absorbed into the leaves compared to when conventional penetration-promoting solutions containing surfactants (Comparative Examples 4 and 5) were applied. Furthermore, when linoleic acid or potassium salts alone (Comparative Examples 2 and 3) were applied, almost no penetration-promoting effect on plant growth-promoting active organic substances was observed. This indicates that the penetration-promoting solution of the present invention promotes the absorption of plant growth-promoting active organic substances such as terpenes, amino acids, nucleic acids, and phospholipids on the surface of the leaves of the applied plants.

[0115] From the above results, it can be seen that the penetration enhancer of this embodiment has the effect of increasing the penetration and / or uptake of plant growth-promoting active organic substances into plant tissue, and as a result, it can promote plant growth. As the organic substance to be penetrated, any organic substance with an octanol / water partition coefficient of about 7.73 or less can be suitably used.

[0116] Furthermore, since the penetration enhancer of the present invention does not contain excess lipophilic esters, it does not inhibit the penetration of organic substances that are intended to penetrate, and can efficiently penetrate the stems and leaves of plants.

Claims

1. A mixture of anionic surfactants (excluding sulfosuccinate esters) and nonionic surfactants (alkyl(C) 12 ~C 16 ) At least one alkyl (C) acid 1 ~C 8 A plant growth-promoting active organic substance penetration enhancer comprising (without esters), wherein the anionic surfactant is linear dodecylbenzenesulfonate sodium, and the nonionic surfactant is polyoxyethylene (18) nonylphenyl ether.

2. The penetration enhancer according to claim 1, wherein the plant growth-promoting active organic substance is a plant hormone involved in plant growth or a precursor in the biosynthesis of the plant hormone.

3. The penetration enhancer according to claim 1, wherein the plant growth-promoting active organic substance is at least one selected from the group consisting of plant growth promoters, growth stimulants, organic elicitors, and functional nutrients, or a precursor thereof.

4. The penetration enhancer according to claim 1, wherein the plant growth-promoting active organic substance is at least one selected from the group consisting of terpenes, nucleic acids, amino acids, and phospholipids.

5. The penetration accelerator according to claim 1, wherein the content ratio of the mixture to the total penetration accelerator is 0.05 to 2.0 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the penetration accelerator.

6. The penetration enhancer according to claim 1, wherein the ratio of the anionic surfactant to the nonionic surfactant is anionic surfactant / nonionic surfactant = 0.1 to 10 by weight.

Images