Plant treatment agent for improving the tolerance of crop plants to heat stress, drought stress and light stress

Abstract

The invention relates to an innovative chemical composition of various components, by means of which the tolerance to heat stress, drought stress and light stress in crop plants is increased and which is at the same time environmentally friendly and easy to use and which has a yield-enhancing effect under said stress conditions.

Description

[0001] Plant treatment products to improve the tolerance of cultivated plants to heat, drought and light stress

[0002] The present invention relates to a plant treatment agent for improving the tolerance of crops to heat, drought and light stress, and to a method for producing a spray solution from this plant treatment agent and its use for treating a crop on an arable field.

[0003] For many crops grown in temperate latitudes, heat stress typically begins at temperatures around 30°C, especially if these temperatures persist for extended periods during the day and are not mitigated by cooler nights. Whether this is classified as drought stress depends on a number of factors. In some cases, mild stress symptoms may appear after just one week without rain, while under other conditions, or in particularly drought-tolerant plants, drought stress may only occur after several weeks without rain. Light tolerance is similarly individual. Depending on the crop, heat stress can occur, especially under combined stress conditions such as simultaneous drought and / or high temperatures, at solar radiation intensities as low as 1000 pmol / m². 2 Light stress can occur at leaf level.

[0004] Over the past decade, climate change in Central Europe has led to a significant increase in heat, drought, and light stress in crops. Record heat and prolonged periods of drought have increased the susceptibility of crops to stress factors, negatively impacting plant growth and yields.

[0005] Agriculture is therefore increasingly seeking agents to enhance crop tolerance to stressors such as heat, drought, and intense sunlight. Polyamines, such as spermidine and spermine, are known to stabilize cell membranes and generally promote growth under stress. Salicylic acid and jasmonic acid, which play a role in the plant's defense signaling pathway, are also used to increase overall stress resistance. Nutrients such as potassium, which activate stomatal closure, are among the known agents used to improve crop tolerance to drought. Osmoprotectants are also sometimes employed to protect plant cells against the osmotic effects of drought stress.These are generally small, organic molecules that, by accumulating in cells, increase osmotic pressure, enabling the cells to absorb or retain more water. Examples of osmoprotectors include the sugar alcohols mannitol and sorbitol, as well as the amino acids glycine and proline. Micronutrients such as zinc and selenium are believed to strengthen plant defenses against oxidative damage, particularly that caused by high levels of sunlight.

[0006] The search for efficient, environmentally friendly, and sustainable means of strengthening crops in times of climate change remains an ongoing challenge for agricultural science and practice. One object of the present invention is therefore to provide an innovative chemical composition that increases the tolerance of crops to heat, drought, and light stress, while simultaneously being environmentally compatible, easy to use, and yield-enhancing under the aforementioned stress conditions.

[0007] According to the invention, a plant treatment product for improving the tolerance of cultivated plants to heat, drought and light stress is therefore proposed, characterized in that it contains the components:

[0008] A at least one C10-C28 fatty acid alkyl ester, wherein the alkyl group is selected from C1-C8 alkyl,

[0009] B at least one C10-C28 fatty acid alcohol and optionally

[0010] C contains at least one 02-016 alcohol, preferably in a liquid medium.

[0011] The plant treatment according to the invention coats the leaves of cultivated plants with a protective layer consisting largely of naturally occurring fatty acid derivatives. The layer is therefore neither harmful to the environment nor to human health. The protective layer effectively reduces water loss through evaporation from the leaf surfaces. By reflecting, scattering, and absorbing incident solar radiation, it also protects the plants from light stress. Consequently, it improves the resilience of cultivated plants during periods of high temperatures and / or high radiation intensity, thus contributing to maintaining yield quality under heat, drought, and light stress conditions.

[0012] Components A, B, and optionally C are preferably contained in a liquid medium in the form of an emulsion, suspension, or solution. Preferably, components A, B, and optionally C remain emulsified, suspended, or dissolved at room temperature, even after prolonged storage. In certain embodiments, after the production of the plant treatment product, at least 80%, at least 90%, at least 95%, at least 98%, or even at least 99% of components A, B, and optionally C remain emulsified, suspended, or dissolved after 7 days, 30 days, 6 months, 1 year, 3 years, or even 5 years.

[0013] In certain embodiments, the liquid medium consists of water or at least one organic solvent permitted for agricultural applications, an oil, or a mixture thereof. Examples of such organic solvents are, without limitation: ethanol, isopropanol, butanol, xylene, cyclohexanone, 1-methoxy-2-propanol, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, diethylene glycol monobutyl ether, ethyl acetate, methyl ethyl ketone, acetone, and dimethyl sulfoxide.

[0014] Depending on the hydrophilicity / lipophilicity of components A, B and optionally C, in certain embodiments with mixtures of water and organic solvent, the mixing ratio of the proportions of water and the proportions of organic solvent is preferably at least 10:90, 20:80, 30:70, 40:60, 50:50, 60:40, 70:30, 80:20 or 90:10, each on a volume basis.

[0015] Preferably, components A, B and optionally C are present in the plant treatment product in a total of at least 5% by weight. The higher the proportion of these components, the more pronounced the advantages of the invention become, which may be particularly necessary under extreme heat, drought and / or light stress.

[0016] Certain embodiments of the plant treatment product according to the invention are characterized in that the components A and B are contained in the plant treatment product in total with at least 5 wt.%, at least 10 wt.%, at least 20 wt.%, or even at least 30 wt.%.

[0017] Certain embodiments of the plant treatment product according to the invention are characterized by significant proportions of component A. Preferably, the proportion of component A in these plant treatment products is at least 2.5 wt.%, at least 5.0 wt.% or at least 10.0 wt.%.

[0018] Certain embodiments of the plant treatment product according to the invention are characterized by significant proportions of component B. Preferably, the proportion of component B in these plant treatment products is at least 2.5 wt.%, at least 5.0 wt.% or at least 10.0 wt.%.

[0019] Certain embodiments of the plant treatment product according to the invention contain the optional component C. Preferably, the proportion of the optional component C in these plant treatment products is at least 2.5 wt.%, at least 5.0 wt.% or at least 7.5 wt.% and / or up to 10 wt.%, up to 20 wt.% or at most up to 30 wt.%.

[0020] The C10-C28 fatty acid alkyl esters used according to the invention are esters of alcohols and fatty acids with chain lengths of 10 to 28 carbon atoms, wherein the alkyl group resulting from the alcohol is selected from C1-C8 alkyl. C14-C24 fatty acid alkyl esters with a C1-C8 alkyl group, i.e., short-chain alcohol components, typically include methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl, pentyl, hexyl, heptyl, or octyl esters of capric acid (C10), undecanoic acid (C11), lauric acid (C12), tridecanoic acid (C13), myristic acid (C14), pentadecanoic acid (C15), palmitic acid (C16), margaric acid (C17), stearic acid (C18), nonadecanoic acid (C19), arachidic acid (C20), heneicosanoic acid (C21), behenic acid (C22), lignoceric acid (C24), cerotic acid (C26), or montanic acid (C28).

[0021] Examples of even-numbered saturated fatty acid esters used according to the invention are, without limitation: capric methyl ester (C10:0 methyl ester), lauric propyl ester (C12:0 propyl ester), myristic methyl ester (C14:0 methyl ester), palmitic hexyl ester (C16:0 hexyl ester), stearic methyl ester (C18:0 methyl ester), arachidic methyl ester (C20:0 methyl ester), behenic methyl ester (C22:0 methyl ester), lignoceric methyl ester (C24:0 methyl ester), palmitic ethyl ester (C16:0 ethyl ester), stearic ethyl ester (C18:0 ethyl ester), stearic propyl ester (C18:0 propyl ester), and stearic butyl ester (C18:0 butyl ester). Examples of odd-numbered saturated fatty acid esters are similar.

[0022] Examples of monounsaturated even-numbered fatty acid esters used according to the invention are, without limitation: methyl oleate (C18:1 methyl ester), ethyl oleate (C18:1 ethyl ester), propyl oleate (C18:1 propyl ester), butyl oleate (C18:1 butyl ester), methyl eicosenoic acid (C20:1 methyl ester), ethyl eicosenoic acid (C20:1 ethyl ester), methyl erucate (C22:1 methyl ester), ethyl erucate (C22:1 ethyl ester), methyl palmitoleic acid (C16:1 methyl ester), and ethyl palmitoleic acid (C16:1 ethyl ester). Examples of monounsaturated odd-numbered fatty acid esters are similar.

[0023] Examples of polyunsaturated fatty acid esters used according to the invention are, without limitation: methyl linoleic acid ester (C18:2 methyl ester), ethyl linoleic acid ester (C18:2 ethyl ester), propyl linoleic acid ester (C18:2 propyl ester), butyl linoleic acid ester (C18:2 butyl ester), methyl eicosadienoic acid ester (C20:2 methyl ester), and ethyl eicosadienoic acid ester (C20:2 ethyl ester). Examples of polyunsaturated odd-numbered fatty acid esters are similar.

[0024] The C10-C28 fatty acid alcohols used according to the invention are long-chain alcohols with chain lengths of 10 to 28 carbon atoms. Examples of even-numbered saturated fatty acid alcohols used according to the invention are, without limitation: 1-Decanol (C10:0), 1-Dodecanol (C12:0), Myristyl alcohol (C14:0), Palmityl alcohol (C16:0), Stearyl alcohol (C18:0), Oleyl alcohol (C18:0), Behenyl alcohol (C22:0), Arachidyl alcohol (C20:0), Brasyl alcohol (C22:0), Eruca alcohol (C22:0), Lignoceryl alcohol (C24:0). Examples of odd-numbered saturated fatty acid alcohols are similar.

[0025] Examples of monounsaturated fatty acid alcohols used according to the invention are, without limitation: myristoleyl alcohol (C14:1), palmitoleyl alcohol (C16:1), oleylethanolamine (C18:1), petroselinyl alcohol (C18:1), erucyl alcohol (C22:1), brassidyl alcohol (C22:1), cetoleyl alcohol (C22:1). Examples of odd-numbered monounsaturated fatty acid alcohols are similar.

[0026] An example of a polyunsaturated fatty acid alcohol used according to the invention is, without limitation, linoleic alcohol (C18:2). Examples of odd-numbered polyunsaturated fatty acid alcohols are similar.

[0027] Examples of alcohols optionally used as component C according to the invention are the linear saturated C2-C16 alcohols ethanol (C2), propanol (C3), butanol (C4), pentanol (C5), hexanol (C6), heptanol (C7), octanol (C8), nonanol (C9), decanol (C10), undecanol (C11), and dodecanol (C12). Further examples are the linear monounsaturated alcohols hexenol, heptenol, octenol, nonenol, decenol, undecenol, and dodecenol, and branched C6-C12 alcohols such as 2-ethylhexanol, isohexanol, isooctanol, 2-propylheptanol, isooctenol, 2-ethylhexenol, and methyl-2-pentenol. In certain embodiments of the invention, at least 20 wt.% of components A, B and / or C are linear or simply branched. Linear compounds are more readily available and less expensive than branched ones. Furthermore, linear or minimally branched compounds mix optimally and form a more homogeneous and stable protective film after application to the plant.In certain embodiments, at least 35% by weight of components A, B and / or C are linearly or at most simply branched. In further embodiments, at least 50% by weight of components A, B and / or C are linearly or simply branched.

[0028] In certain embodiments of the invention, at least 20 wt.% of components A and / or B are mono- or doubly unsaturated, which can lead to an improvement in the light absorption and scattering properties of the protective film. In certain embodiments, therefore, at least 35 wt.% of components A and / or B are mono- or doubly unsaturated. In further embodiments, at least 50 wt.% of components A and / or B are mono- or doubly unsaturated.

[0029] In certain embodiments of the invention, at least 5 wt.% of components A and / or B are doubly unsaturated, resulting in improved light absorption and scattering properties. In certain embodiments, at least 10 wt.% of components A and / or B are doubly unsaturated. In further embodiments, at least 15 wt.% of components A and / or B are doubly unsaturated.

[0030] In certain embodiments of the invention, at least 25 wt.% of component A consists of C14-C24 fatty acid alkyl esters, since compounds in this chain length range are particularly suitable for most cultivated plants. Preferably, at least 25 wt.% of component A consists of C16-C22 fatty acid alkyl esters; more preferably, at least 25 wt.% of component A consists of C17-C21 fatty acid alkyl esters.

[0031] In certain embodiments of the invention, at least 25 wt.% of component B consists of C14-C24 fatty alcohols, preferably C16-C22 fatty alcohols, and particularly preferably C16-C18 fatty alcohols, since compounds in this chain length range are particularly suitable for most cultivated plants. In certain embodiments of the invention, at least 25 wt.% of the optional component C consists of O4-O14 alcohols, preferably O6-O12 alcohols, and particularly preferably O6-O10 alcohols, since compounds in this chain length range are particularly suitable for most cultivated plants.

[0032] The plant treatment product according to the invention contains in particular the components A, B and optionally 0. In addition, the plant treatment product may also contain further chemical substances, which are referred to below as additive components.

[0033] In certain embodiments of the invention, the plant treatment product contains up to 10% by weight, up to 20% by weight, or up to 30% by weight of an additive component D, selected from one or more dyes, one or more fragrances, one or more pigments, one or more solubilizers, and combinations thereof. The additives can, for example, improve the processability of the mixture (e.g., solubilizers), enhance or supplement the protective properties (e.g., pigments), provide an additional effect (e.g., fragrances with repellent properties), or positively influence the product's aesthetics (e.g., dyes). Depending on the specific application and individual requirements, in certain embodiments the plant treatment product contains a maximum of up to 1.0% by weight of the additive component D.In further embodiments, the plant treatment product contains a proportion of at most 2.5 wt.%, at most 5.0 wt.%, at most 10 wt.% or at most 20 wt.% of the additive component D.

[0034] The present invention also encompasses a method for producing a spray solution by mixing the plant protection product with water, wherein the mixing ratio is 1 part by weight of plant protection product to at least 10 parts by weight of water, preferably at least 1:25, particularly preferably at least 1:50, even more preferably at least 1:100, and most preferably at least 1:200. This is the optimal mixing ratio in most applications for application in the field and for application to the crop to be treated.

[0035] Typically, a spray solution prepared according to the above-mentioned method is used to treat a crop on arable land, with a quantity of the spray solution being applied to the crop by spraying. In most applications, spraying provides optimal foliar application. In the context of the present invention, the term "crop" is to be understood as encompassing all cultivated plants that are used for economic purposes, and thus includes both crops and ornamental plants.

[0036] The term "crop" encompasses plants that are used for further processing as food, stimulants, medicinal plants, animal feed, or for technical purposes (renewable raw materials). The term "crop" includes, in particular, the typical field crops traditionally used in agriculture, such as cereals, pulses, root crops, and oilseeds, but also vegetables and fruits.

[0037] The term “field” or “arable land” is to be interpreted broadly in connection with the present invention and refers to any area for cultivation of a crop.

[0038] The term "plant cultivation" is to be interpreted broadly in connection with the present invention and refers to any cultivation of cereals, grasses, root crops, oilseeds, legumes, fruits and vegetables, as well as cultivated grassland, forestry crops, arable crops, viticultural crops, nursery crops, ornamental plant crops, horticultural crops, private garden crops, greenhouse crops and crops grown under protected cultivation.

[0039] In certain embodiments of the invention, the quantity and timing of the spraying of the plant treatment agent according to the invention are determined as a function of a parameter selected from a group consisting of the type of crop, the variety of the crop, the plant density on the arable land, the soil type of the arable land, the water supply of the arable land, the statistical mean of the precipitation amounts and / or the solar radiation intensity in the vegetation periods of the last three years before the time of spraying, the weather conditions in the current vegetation period before the time of spraying, the expected weather conditions and / or the solar radiation intensity in the current vegetation period after the time of spraying or a combination thereof.In this way, optimal adjustment of the quantity and timing of one or more sprayings can be achieved to the prevailing conditions.

[0040] For the purposes of the original disclosure, it is pointed out that all features as they can be deduced by a person skilled in the art from the present description and the claims, even if they are specifically described only in connection with certain other features, can be combined individually or in any combination with other features or groups of features disclosed herein, unless this has been expressly excluded or technical circumstances render such combinations impossible or pointless. A comprehensive, explicit description of all conceivable combinations of features is omitted here solely for the sake of brevity and readability.

[0041] Furthermore, it should be noted that it is self-evident to those skilled in the art that the following exemplary embodiments serve only to illustrate the possible embodiments of the present invention presented as examples. Those skilled in the art will therefore readily understand that, in addition, all other embodiments exhibiting the features or combinations of features of the invention mentioned in the claims also fall within the scope of protection of the invention. A comprehensive, explicit description of all conceivable embodiments is omitted here solely for the sake of brevity and readability.

[0042] EXAMPLES OF EXECUTION

[0043] In the following examples, water-based plant protection products are produced by emulsifying or dissolving the components listed in the respective table in water. The values ​​given in wt.% refer to the total weight of the resulting plant protection product.

[0044] Example 1

[0045] Example 2

[0046] Example 3

[0047] Application example

[0048] To prepare a spray solution, 1 part of a plant protection product having a composition according to Example 1 was mixed with 380 parts by weight of water and sprayed on a crop of wheat in the Limburg an der Lahn region of Germany at the summer solstice on June 21, leaving an area of ​​the field untreated.

[0049] After treatment, the leaf surfaces of the treated areas differ from the untreated areas by a matte-transparent protective film coating.

[0050] As a result, the treated areas showed either no or significantly fewer signs of heat, drought, and light stress compared to the untreated areas, even on hot summer days with high sunshine hours. After harvest, a yield comparison revealed an 8 percent higher yield in the treated area.

Claims

Patent claims 1. Plant treatment product for improving the tolerance of cultivated plants to heat, drought and light stress, characterized in that the plant treatment product contains the components: A at least one C10-C28 fatty acid alkyl ester, wherein the alkyl group is selected from C1-C8 alkyl, B at least one C10-C28 fatty acid alcohol and optionally C contains at least one C2-C16 alcohol, preferably in a liquid medium.

2. Plant treatment product according to claim 1, characterized in that the components A and B are contained in the plant treatment product in total with at least 5 wt.%, at least 10 wt.%, at least 20 wt.% or at least 30 wt.%.

3. Plant treatment product according to one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that component A is contained in the plant treatment product in at least 2.5 wt.%, at least 5.0 wt.% or at least 10.0 wt.%.

4. Plant treatment product according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that component B is contained in the plant treatment product in at least 2.5 wt.%, at least 5.0 wt.% or at least 10.0 wt.%.

5. Plant treatment product according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the optional component C is contained in the plant treatment product in at least 2.5 wt.%, at least 5.0 wt.% or at least 10.0 wt.%.

6. Plant treatment product according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that at least 20 wt.%, at least 35 wt.% or at least 50 wt.% of components A, B and / or C are linearly or simply branched.

7. Plant treatment product according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that at least 20 wt.%, at least 35 wt.% or at least 50 wt.% of components A and / or B are mono or doubly unsaturated.

8. Plant treatment product according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that at least 5 wt.%, at least 10 wt.% or at least 15 wt.% of components A and / or B are doubly unsaturated.

9. Plant treatment composition according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that at least 25 wt.%, at least 50 wt.% or at least 75 wt.% of component A are C14-C24 fatty acid alkyl esters, preferably C16-C22 fatty acid alkyl esters, particularly preferably C17-C21 fatty acid alkyl esters.

10. Plant treatment composition according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that at least 25 wt.%, at least 50 wt.% or at least 75 wt.% of component A are C14-C24 fatty acid alcohols, preferably C16-C20 fatty acid alcohols, particularly preferably C16-C18 fatty acid alcohols.

11. Plant treatment composition according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the plant treatment composition comprises a proportion of at most 1.0 wt.%, at most 2.5 wt.%, at most 5.0 wt.%, at most 10 wt.% or at most 20 wt.% of an additive component D selected from one or more dyes, one or more fragrances, one or more pigments, one or more solubilizers and combinations thereof.

12. Method for producing a spray solution by mixing the plant treatment product according to one of claims 1 to 11 with water in a ratio of 1 part by weight of plant treatment product to at least 10 parts by weight of water.

13. Use of a spray solution produced according to the method of claim 12 for the treatment of a crop on a field, wherein a quantity of the spray solution is applied to the crop by spraying.

14. Use according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the plant crop is selected from a crop of cereals, grasses, root crops, Oilseeds, legumes, fruits and vegetables as well as cultivated grassland, forestry crops, arable crops, wine-growing crops, nursery crops, ornamental plant crops, horticultural crops, private garden crops, greenhouse crops and crops in protected cultivation.

15. Use according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the determination of the quantity and timing of the spraying is carried out as a function of a parameter selected from a group consisting of a type of crop, a variety of the crop, a crop density on the arable land, a soil type of the arable land, a water supply of the arable land, a statistical average of precipitation amounts and / or solar radiation intensity in the vegetation periods of the last 3 years before the time of spraying, a weather pattern in the current vegetation period before the time of spraying, an expected weather pattern and / or solar radiation intensity in the current Vegetation period following the time of spraying or a combination thereof.

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