Dry Powder Arthropod Control via Electrostatic Delivery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for controlling arthropod infestations in grain storage areas are ineffective as they fail to reach arthropods in cracks and crevices, and biological agents like entomopathogenic fungi often struggle with environmental extremes and regulatory constraints, leading to reduced efficacy over time.
Innovation Solution
A dry powder composition comprising hydrophobic particles that adhere to arthropod cuticles via electrostatic forces, carrying spores of entomopathogenic fungi such as Beauveria bassiana, which preferentially detach and attach to the arthropod cuticles, ensuring effective delivery and germination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If wet chemical formulations are applied to surfaces of grain storage areas, then arthropods on surfaces are killed, but arthropods in cracks and crevices are not reached and survive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces wet chemical formulations with a dry powder composition that utilizes electrostatic forces for delivery. The dry powder is applied using an electrostatic sprayer that charges particles, enabling them to adhere to surfaces and penetrate into cracks and crevices where arthropods hide, overcoming the limitation of wet formulations that cannot reach these sheltered areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state of the chemical formulation from wet to dry powder form. This parameter change allows the composition to be delivered as charged particles that can be electrostatically deposited into hard-to-reach areas, while the active ingredient remains effective in killing arthropods.
2Reliability
If high levels of arthropodicidal chemicals in dry powder form are applied, then arthropod mortality increases, but effectiveness diminishes over time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a attractant pheromone into the dry powder composition that attracts arthropods to the treated area. This self-service mechanism ensures continuous attraction and contact between arthropods and the active ingredient over time, maintaining effectiveness without requiring reapplication of high chemical levels.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses attractant pheromones to preliminarily draw arthropods into the treated area before the lethal action of the active ingredient takes effect. This preliminary attraction ensures that arthropods actively seek out and contact the treatment, extending the duration of effectiveness as new arthropods are continuously attracted.
3Adaptability or versatility
If entomopathogenic fungi are used to control arthropods, then biological control is achieved, but environmental extremes and regulatory constraints reduce efficacy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges synthetic active ingredients with attractant pheromones in a dry powder formulation. This combination provides the reliability and consistency of synthetic chemicals while the pheromone component enhances attraction and ensures effectiveness across various environmental conditions, overcoming the limitations of using entomopathogenic fungi alone in extreme environments.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite dry powder composition containing the active ingredient, attractant pheromone, and carrier material. This composite formulation combines the advantages of different components: the synthetic active ingredient provides reliable lethality, the pheromone ensures continuous attraction, and the dry powder matrix protects the ingredients from environmental degradation.
4Reliability
If conventional dry powder treatments are applied to grain storage areas, then arthropod control is achieved, but the treatment effectiveness diminishes over time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates attractant pheromones that continuously attract new arthropods to the treated area, creating a self-sustaining control mechanism. As arthropods are attracted and contact the active ingredient, they are killed, but the pheromone continues to attract subsequent arthropods, maintaining treatment effectiveness over extended periods without additional applications.
Solution Approach 2:
The attractant pheromone provides continuous useful action by constantly drawing arthropods into the treated zone. This continuous attraction ensures that the active ingredient remains effective over time as new targets are continuously brought into contact with the treatment, preventing the diminishing effectiveness seen in conventional treatments.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The composition achieves high mortality rates (>80%) of grain storage arthropods, with the spores effectively germinating and penetrating the cuticles, providing long-term population reduction and reducing the need for high chemical usage.
Implementation Method 1
hydrophobic particles that adhere to arthropod cuticles via electrostatic forces
Implementation Method 2
spores of an entomopathogenic fungus that adhere to the said particles and that are capable of germinating on the cuticles of the one or more species of grain storage arthropod
Data Source
AI summary
Composite particles containing hydrophobic particles and spores of an entomopathogenic fungus that are capable of germinating on the cuticle of a grain storage arthropod, dry powder compositions comprising such composite particles, methods of producing such compositions and methods and uses thereof.