Natural Botanical Compound

Thrips is a kind of insects with small size and strong hiding ability. The body length of adults is about 0.5~5mm, and a few of them can reach 10~14mm [1-3]. The feeding habits of thrips are complex, including phytophagous, predatory and mycophagous, among which phytophagous thrips mainly harm crops. So far, more than 2000 species of thrips have been recorded in the world, belonging to 4 subfamilies and about 276 genera, accounting for 79 genera and 315 species in China [4]. Thrips use the thrust-suction mouthpiece to absorb nutrients from crop tissues and organs to meet their own needs of growth and development [4,7], and produce harm by directly feeding, laying eggs or spreading the virus, and the losses caused by the transmission of the virus far exceed the direct harm [8-9].

In recent years, global trade and climate warming have accelerated the spread of thrips, which have become an important agricultural and forestry pest in the world. According to the survey results, the hosts of frankliniella occidentalis(Pergande) have reached more than 60 families and more than 500 species, and have become one of the most serious agricultural and forestry pests [10-11]. Frankliniella occidentalis(Pergande) mainly harm the tender shoot, young fruits and flower organs of crops. At the initial stage of damage, the surface of leaves and young fruits appeared nicks or spots, and in serious cases, the leaves and fruits appeared rust and brown spots, which eventually caused the leaves and fruits to fall off and the plants to wither and die. In addition, frankliniella occidentalis(Pergande) can also transmit viruses, resulting in a large area of crop yield reduction [12]. Thrips palmi Karny, also known as zucchini thrips, are mainly harmful to eggplant vegetables. They cause spots and deformities in the fruits by feeding and laying eggs. According to the degree of harm, the economic losses can reach 15%~90% [13]

Thrips harm crops and spread other diseases at the same time. According to conservative estimates, the economic losses on peanuts, tobacco, tomatoes and sweet peppers caused by the spread of tomato spot wilt virus (TSWV) in Georgia during 1996-2006 totaled US $350 million [14]. The total loss caused by the transmission of TSWV in the United States exceeded 1.4 billion US dollars [14, 15].

With the widespread use of pesticides, the resistance of thrips has also changed constantly. At present, the global control of thrips still depends mainly on the use of chemical pesticides. Its broad-spectrum, high efficiency, quick-acting and easy-to-operate characteristics are the important reasons that are generally accepted by people. Common pesticides include organophosphorus, carbamate, pyrethroid and neonicotinic pesticides. However, the serious resistance caused by long-term application of chemical pesticides has become an important factor restricting agricultural production.

According to the investigation, the resistance level of frankliniella occidentalis(Pergande) collected from Almeria Spain to the spinosad increased ten thousand times in 2003 [16], and the frankliniella occidentalis(Pergande) collected from Murcia [17] greenhouse in 2004 also had a high level of resistance to the Spinosad (RF>3682). Immaraju et al. [18] studied the resistance level of frankliniella occidentalis(Pergande) in California, USA, and pointed out that the resistance level of the population to avermectin increased 798 times. Loughner et al. [19] reported that the frequent use of Spinosad caused the rapid development of the resistance of the field population of frankliniella occidentalis(Pergande) occidentalis in the United States to Spinosad. Herron et al. [20] reported that some field populations of frankliniella occidentalis(Pergande) in Australia have also developed different levels of resistance to Spinosad. The frankliniella occidentalis(Pergande) have resistance to Spinosad, and at the same time, they also have significant resistance to the nicotinic pesticidies thiamethoxam up to 84 times [21]. At the same time, it has a medium level of cross-resistance to imidacloprid, emamectin benzoate, phoxim, acetamiprid, chlorpyrifos, beta-cypermethrin and methomyl [22].

Therefore, it is extremely urgent to develop new control methods for thrips that have high resistant for chemical pesticides. With the rapid development of science and technology, through the in-depth study of the extraction technology and preparation technology of natural plant sources, the metabolites of plant sources have been more and more applied to the prevention and control of agricultural insects and diseases because of their good application effect, rapid degradation in nature, and not easy to cause pesticides resistance. Sophora flavescens Alt., as a traditional medicinal plant, belongs to leguminosae, sophora herb or subshrub, and is rich in natural alkaloids and flavonoids, as well as a few phenolic, triterpenoids, phenylpropanoid, fatty acids and amino acids, which can be used as clinical medicine, cosmetics additives, pesticides and in other fields.

The alkaloids of Sophora flavescens are extracted from the dried roots, plants and fruits of Sophora flavescens by ethanol and other organic solvents, and the contents of matrine and oxymatrine are the highest. The agricultural research of matrine is relatively rich. The research report shows that Sophora Flavescens alkaloid can be used to control the rice leaf roller, and has good control effect on the tea geometrid [24], with significant effect and safe for rice [23]. At the same time, the combination of sophora flavescens alkaloids and other biological pesticides has a significant synergistic effect, which can reduce the number of insecticide use and prevent the generation of resistance, and is favored by many plant protection workers. The combination of sophora flavescens alkaloids and pyrethrins has good control effect on apple aphids and is safe for fruit trees [25]. The combination of sophora flavescens alkaloid and nicotine has a good control effect on grassland locusts [26], and also has a certain control effect on alfalfa aphids [27]. It is considered as one of the latest botanical biopesticides in the 21st century with low toxicity to humans and animals and safe use.

Relying on China’s rich medicinal plant resources and application technology, Chengdu Newsun Crop Science Co., Ltd., an enterprise focusing on innovative research and development of green agricultural biotechnology, has successfully developed the innovative biotechnology of natural novel botanical compound CE Matrine after years of research and development, and has been applied to agricultural thrips and other insects control fields, making outstanding contributions to the global organic and green agricultural industry.

As a highly active alkaloid, sophora flavescens alkaloid can inhibit the Na+, K+- ATPase in target cells and cause the disorder of intracellular and extracellular ion concentration, thus interfering with normal physiological processes. Inhibition of Ca2+and Mg2+– α- TPase will disturb the steady state of Ca2+, the second messenger of signal transduction, leading to metabolic dysfunction. At the same time, the content of glutamate and γ-aminobutyric acid increased, the activity of alanine aminotransferase was inhibited, and the activity of glutamate decarboxylase was activated. Based on these results, it is inferred that sophora flavescens alkaloids first inhibit alanine aminotransferase, resulting in a relatively high alanine aminotransferase, and further activate glutamate decarboxylase for the accumulation of γ- Aminobutyric acid, which strengthens the inflow of chloride ions, causes the hyperpolarization of the postsynaptic membrane and triggers the inhibitory postsynaptic potential, so the conduction of action potential is interrupted. The final symptoms of poisoning are typical tentacles and legs convulsions, followed by paralysis and death.

Fig. 1: Field microscopy data of 0.3%CE matrine solution against thrips

After years of scientific research and development, Newsun has adopted the original co-extraction technology of plant sources, which has enriched the active components in the product and significantly increased the activity of Sophora flavescens extract against insects. Moreover, it further reduced the use-cost and effectively promoted the popularization and application of sophora flavescens alkaloids in agriculture.

The Newsun 0.3% CE matrine SL has a variety of main alkaloids and other botanical ingredients, which can maximize the extraction of various effective ingredients, reduce the energy consumption of various production, and at the same time, the synergistic effect between components is more significant, with good affinity with plants, high safety in use, and jointly improve the product’s prevention effect.

Fig. 2: The various main active ingredients in 0.3% CE Matrine SL

At the same time, the addition of nanotechnology makes the performance of the formulation more excellent. The product will be automatically dispersed when entering the water, and will be miscible with the water. Nano-scale particle size is easier to be absorbed and utilized, rapidly reducing surface tension and contact angle, reducing the bounce, drift and other waste in the use of liquid medicine, and effectively improving the effective utilization rate of solution.

0.3% CE matrine SL can significantly reduce the surface tension of the matching solution. Improve the wetting and permeation absorption of other chemicals pesticides, and significantly improve the effective utilization rate of chemical pesticides. The mixture of 0.3% CE matrine SL and 70% imidacloprid can quickly reduce the surface tension of imidacloprid from 67mN/m to 23mN/m. When mixed with suspension solution such as spinosad or spinetoram, it can improve the automatic dispersion performance, increase the wettability and permeability, and increase its spread on the target and resistance to rain erosion.

Fig. 3: The dynamic data of surface tension of 0.3% CE matrine SL + Imidacloprid

The successful development of 0.3% CE matrine SL, a natural botanical biopesticide, is helpful to effectively alleviate the problem that thrips that have high resistant for pesticides are difficult to control, has a good protective effect on natural enemies, reduces the number of times of use, and saves costs to the maximum extent. At present, relying on chemical pesticides with single and same mechanism for a long time, the number of times of application increases, and the cost of application increases, resulting in very serious pesticides resistance and excessive pesticide residues. Compared with traditional control technologies, natural botanical pesticides have the advantages of easy degradation of natural products, low toxicity, synergism of multiple components, less resistance to pesticides, and more safety to the environment.

At the same time, in order to give full play to the advantages of botanical pesticides such as strong quick-acting and not easy to produce resistance, Newsun has established an active control system of biological pesticides “prevention-preventive treatment-treatment”, that is, before and at the initial stage of the diseases and pests, biological pesticides are mainly used; during the outbreak period, biological pesticides and chemical pesticides are used together to minimize the population base and rapid propagation of pests and reduce the use amount of chemical pesticides.

A large number of field experimental data showed that in the early stage of the occurrence of mango thrips (Sanya City, Hainan Province), the control effect of 0.3% CE matrine SL alone diluted 500 times reached 84.29%, which could significantly reduce the population base and achieve the purpose of prevention.

Fig. 4: The efficacy of 0.3% CE Matrine SL for controlling thrips on mango

In the middle and late stage of the disease and insect, that is, the outbreak period, the core application technology means of “botanical biopesticides+chemical pesticides” is selected as the main line to achieve reduction of chemical pesticides and more efficiency. On the premise of improving the control effect, it will reduce the use of chemical pesticides, the pesticide resistance, and the chemical residue, and improve the quality of agricultural products, the agricultural ecological environment, so that the biodiversity will be maintained and the environmental pressurewill be reduced.

According to the toxicity test of aphids in the laboratory, 0.3% CE matrine SL has good biological activity against the peach aphid in Tangshan, Hebei, with the median lethal concentration (LC50) of 3.8059 mg/L, which is significantly higher than the median lethal concentration (LC50) of imidacloprid (41.8203 mg/L). After mixing 0.3% CE matrine and imidacloprid, the median lethal concentration (LC50) was further reduced to 2.1254mg/L, and the combination of the two showed significant synergistic effect.

Tab. 1: Synergistic effect toxicity data of 0.3% CE Matrine SL

Y=a+bx

（mg/L）

In July 2022, the outbreak of bean thrips occurred in Pujiang County, Sichuan Province, China. The use of 0.3% CE matrine SL diluted by 500 times with chemical pesticide 60g/L spinetoram SC, which was reduced by 30%. It showed excellent quick-acting effect 2 hours after the treatment, and the control effect reached 96.73%. It still maintained 80% of the control effect 7 days after the treatment. The comprehensive control effect was more than that of the chemical solution 60g/L spinetoram SC alone with normal dosage, which could play the role of reducing the amount and increasing the effect of chemical pesticides.

Tab.2: The efficacy of 0.3% CE matrine SL + 60g/L spinetoram SC for controlling thrips on beans

According to a large amount tests data, 0.3% CE matrine SL has a high safety for crops. In 2022, mango thrips broke out in Yazhou District, Sanya City, China. After using 0.3% CE matrine solution 500 times to control, it had no adverse effects on mango leaves and young fruits, and protected the safety of crops to the maximum extent under the premise of ensuring the effect of the solution.

Fig. 5: The safety test of 0.3% CE Matrine SL on mango

At the same time, 0.3% CE matrine SL also has good control effect on aphids. In June 2022, cotton aphids broke out in Awati Farm, Korla, Xinjiang, China. Using 0.3% CE matrine SL diluted 750 times to control, the control effect reached 97.86% within 10 days after the treatment, and there was no significant difference with the chemical pesticide 10% flonicamid 20g/mu (1ha=15mu), the effect was excellent, and the cotton leaves were safe.

Tab. 3: The data of 0.3% CE Matrine SL controlling aphids on cotton

Sophora flavescens, as a kind of medicinal plant widely used in the fields of medicine and agriculture, is widely cultivated in China as a common medicinal material, mainly distributed in the provinces and regions of North and South China, and also distributed in India, Japan, North Korea, Russia and Siberia. In recent years, with the rapid development of synthetic biology, the synthesis of plant alkaloids by yeast, plant stem cells and other eukaryotic factory technologies has become a hot research direction at this stage. The application of advanced technologies such as genetic engineering, proteomics, protease engineering in agricultural production has made it possible to produce pharmaceutical active substances through large-scale bioengineering technology. The application of biosynthesis technology will further promote the in-depth industrial application of sophora flavescens alkaloids.

Nowadays, people are paying more and more attention to environmental quality and health, and the desire to use environmentally friendly pesticides is becoming more and more urgent. The development and application of botanical biological pesticides has become a trend. At present, the green development of agriculture has become the main theme. The characteristics of botanical biopesticides such as low toxicity, safety, and good environmental compatibility have been recognized, and have become the focus of global pesticide development. It is reported that the global sales of bio-pesticides in 2017 exceeded US $3.3 billion, and continued to grow at a high compound annual growth rate of 13.9%. With the strong promotion of environmental safety, food safety and major national policies in the world, the market share of biological pesticides will continue to increase in the next decade. The development of functional products and technologies such as green and efficient, microencapsulated slow-release, nano-pesticide, and meeting the needs of aerial spraying will be the focus in the future.

The launch of the new natural botanical biopesticide CE matrine, due to its outstanding effect, low use-cost, high safety, no residue, and more environmentally friendly, has solved the pain points of traditional chemical pesticides on rapid increasing in resistance, reduced control effect, high pesticide residue, and insecurity to the environment. Newsun CE Matrine SL provides a solid technical guarantee for food and quality safety of agricultural products, and maintains biodiversity, reduces environmental pressure, and improves biosafety, contributes to the value promotion of agricultural industry and the sustainable development of agriculture, so as to promote the healthy development of biological agriculture.

Newsun Crop Science’s website: http://www.cdxzy.com

E-mail: [email protected]

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