natural-products-in-plant-pest-management

Natural Products from Plants 81OHOHOHCH 3OOHHOHOOOO24-epi-secasterone 24-epicastasteroneOHHOHOOHOBrassinolideOHFig. 3.29. Brassinosteroid active compounds contained in the plant-strengtheningagent ComCat®.harvest and showed better keeping quality in terms of physiological weightloss and juice content compared to untreated controls. In light of the diversepositive effects of ComCat on agricultural and horticultural crops,the product largely adheres to the ‘ideal candidate’ criterion stated earlier.Three BRs have been identified as the main active components of ComCatand these include 24-epi-secasterone, 24-epicastasterone and brassinolide(Fig. 3.29).The future of commercialized bio-stimulants seems positive in light ofthe elevated costs of fertilizer. In this regard, research in terms of the use ofbio-stimulants in combination with fertilizer levels lower than the recommendedstandard for different crops seems to be important in an attempt tolower the input costs that have become a gloomy issue for farmers recently.3.7 ConclusionsDiscovery programmes by the agrochemical industry are mostly driven bylarge-scale synthetic programmes followed by screening to identify potentialnew bio-pesticides, including antimicrobials and herbicides. Most companieshave a more modest effort to evaluate natural products from outsidesources and, to a lesser extent, from in-house isolation efforts. Although theliterature is replete with reports of the isolation and characterization of phytotoxinsfrom many sources, and many of these compounds have been patentedfor potential use, the use of natural or natural-product-derivedherbicides in conventional agriculture is limited (Dayan et al., 2009).Since the Second World War, traditional agricultural practices haveincluded the use of synthetic chemicals for the management of plant pathogens,pests and weeds. This has, without any doubt, increased crop productionbut with some deterioration of the environment and human health(Cutler, 1999). Research indicates that even if one never uses pesticides, onecan still be exposed to them by being a consumer of commodities that othershave treated with pesticides, e.g. through food.