INSECTICIDE FORMULATION
Pesticides
Any chemical, natural or human-made, that is
designed to kill another organism.
Refers to any device, method, or chemical
that kills plants or animals that compete for
humanity's food supply or are otherwise
undesirable.
A Bit of Pesticide History
Before W.W.II pesticides in common use
throughout the US were predominantly
inorganic materials, such as sulfur, lead,
copper, arsenic, boron, mercury, as well as
botanical compounds such as nicotine,
pyrethrum and rotenone.
A Bit of Pesticide History
First recorded chemical use in history as
insecticide was the crushed petals of the
pyrethrum (a type of chrysanthemum),
sulfur, and arsenic were used in the Middle
East, Rome, and China, respectively.
World War II Created a New
Generation of Pesticides
During this time
Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT)
insecticide was further developed by the Swiss,
it changed the nature of pest control
worldwide.
The extraordinary effectiveness of DDT and the
related materials that followed it: lindane,
dieldrin, chlordane, 2 4-D.
Pesticide Use
The use of pesticides in Philippine agriculture
continues to increase despite the adoption and
promotion of the Integrated Pest Management
(IPM) Program.
Insecticides constitute approximately 55%,
Fungicides 22%
Herbicide 16% of the pesticides used in the country
for rice, corn, vegetables and plantation crops.
Raw Materials
Active Ingredient
aka Main Ingredient…
Active ingredient (actual pesticide chemical) may require
mixing with one or more chemicals in order to make it
satisfactory for use.
The active ingredient kills the pests, while the inert
ingredients facilitate spraying and coating the target plant;
they can also contribute other advantages that are not
conferred by the active ingredient alone.
Active Ingredient
Active ingredients were once distilled from
natural substances; now they are largely
synthesized in a laboratory. Almost all are
hydrocarbons derived from petroleum.
Most pesticides contain other elements,
the type and number of which depend on
the pesticide desired.
Active Ingredient
Chlorine, oxygen, sulfur, phosphorus, nitrogen,
and bromine are most common.
Inert ingredients can be many substances,
dependent on the type of pesticide. Liquid
pesticides have traditionally used kerosene or
some other petroleum distillate as a carrier,
though water has recently begun to replace
kerosene.
Inert Ingredients
All other ingredients in a pesticide product are called "inert
ingredients.“
Inert ingredients are used in pesticide products for a variety
of reasons, including:
To stabilize the product and extend shelf-life
To help the pesticide stick to surfaces like leaves and soil
To help the pesticide spread over surfaces
To help the pesticide dissolve in water
To prevent caking or foaming
Ease of application (prevent clogging, product uniformity)
To make ingredients compatible
Inert Ingredients
Often contain more than one inert ingredient.
Inert ingredients -key roles in the effectiveness of
pesticides.
They can: prevent caking or foaming, extend
product shelf-life, or solvents that allow herbicides
to penetrate plants.
Inert Ingredients
Xylenes, found in agricultural insecticides
Cause eye, skin irritation, headaches, nausea,
confusion, tremors and anxiety.
Methyl paraben, found in head lice products.
Regulated as a drug, causes skin sensitivity,
digestive and respiratory irritation.
Inert Ingredients
Dimethyl ether, found in flea products,
causes respiratory, skin and eye irritation,
depresses the central nervous system.
Butane, found in household insecticides,
exposure causes irritation, nausea, and
drowsiness.
Inert Ingredients
Polyethoxyalted tallowamine (POEA)
Inert ingredient in Round-up.
• It improves the solubility by increasing the
penetration of the plants waxy surfaces.
^ U.S. Patent 4,528,023
^ http://www.bio-medicine.org/biology-news/Roundup-AEhighly-lethal-to-amphibians--finds-
University-of-Pittsburgh-researcher-824-2/
Sub-Classed Into Groups by Types
of Pesticides:
Acaricide mites, ticks
Attractant insects
Avicide birds
Bactericide bacteria
Fungicide fungi
Herbicides weeds
Insecticides insects
Classified by Function
Attractants, compounds that attract pest
to traps or poison, including sex based, and
food based. Ants
Repellents, compounds that repel the
target pest. Deer.
Desiccants, compounds that kill by
adhering to insect cuticle, abrading a hole
and drying out the insect, (i.e)
diatomaceous earth, silica aerogel.
Classified by Function
Pass through, livestock is fed this
passes through in the manure where a
target pest eats it. Flies.
Systemics, absorbed by the plant kills
any organism that feeds on that tissue.
Classified by Function cont…
Growth Regulators
Contact Poisons
Stomach Poisons
Dusts
Baits
Aerosols.
Fumigants.
3 Main Attack Modes
Lethal Dose (LD 50)
The higher the rating the less acutely poisonous.
Bleach has an LD of 150.
Laundry Bleach, Very toxic, taste to teaspoon.
Rubber Cement, High toxicity, teaspn to tblspn.
Liquid Detergent, Moderate toxicity, oz. to a pint.
Baby Lotion, Low toxicity, pint to a quart.
Warning Labels
(3) levels of alert or Categories concerning the amount of
pesticide to kill a 150-pound person.
1 - Category I, Danger (highly hazardous poison) Taste
to teaspoon.
2- Category II, Warning (moderately hazardous)
Teaspoon to a tablespoon.
3- Category III and IV, Caution (slightly hazardous to
relatively non hazardous) Ounce to a pint.
Words on the Label
The Label is the Law (Federal)
Pesticide Entry
Insecticidal Modes of Action
Nerve poisons
Muscle poisons
Physical toxicants
Repellants
Nerve Poisons
Synaptic poisons - act by interrupting normal
synaptic transmission of nervous system,
causing the nerve to continue to fire which in
turns cause tremors and death.
Axonic poisons - interrupt normal axonic
transmission of nervous system. (Pyrethroids
and chlorinated hydrocarbons).
Repellants
Does not kill insects.
Very low toxicity to no toxicity.
LD 50 levels of 1,800 to 2,700.
Two Main Chemical Groups:
Inorganic and Carbon Based.
In-organic pesticides: Stable & water-soluble.
(Boric acid, borates, chlorates, copper
sulfate, silica aerogel, Stomach poisons.
Sodium Hypochlorite (bleach) chemically
burns the pest, oxidizing the tissue).
Carbon Based (C)
… Compounds, which sometimes also
contain hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen,
phosphorus or sulfur, with majority of all
modern pesticides.
Types of Carbon Based Pesticides
• Organophosphates
• malathion, methyl parathion, diazinon (now off the market)
• Carbamates; Sevin
• Chlorinated hydrocarbons; (no longer available in the US)
DDT, chlordane, aldrin, dieldrin
Organophosphate
By-product of nerve gas and chemical
warfare research WWII in Germany.
Diazion, Malathion, Orthene,
They inactivate the cholinesterase
enzymes. Synaptic or Nerve poison.
Organophosphates-Malathion
More toxic to mammals than Organochlorines.
Many are systemic.
For 75% of Malathion to break down it takes 1 year.
The EPA lists organophosphates as “very highly acutely
toxic to bees, wildlife, and humans.”
Diazion is highly toxic to birds, and very toxic to aquatic
species. Non-persistent. Off the market.
Carbamates (Sevin)
Carbaryl pesticides.
Inactivate the cholinesterase enzymes.
Chloronicotinyls
Synthetic version of nicotine, disrupts the
nervous system.
Broad spectrum, long residual, low rate (a
little goes a long way) and systemic.
Modeled after natural nicotine.
Imidacloprid neonicotinoids
It causes a blockage in a type of neuronal pathway
(nicotinergic) that is more abundant in insects
than in warm-blooded animals
It is effective on contact and via stomach action.
Imidacloprid neonicotinoids
However: Do not use on flowering
plants….
Neonicotinoids are absorbed into plant
tissue and can be present in pollen and
nectar, making them toxic to bees.
Pyrethrum and Its Derivatives
Refers to the dried, powdered flower
heads of the plant; Pyrethrum roseum =
Chrysanthemum coccineum.
One of the most important insecticides
ever developed.
Persist only a few hours.
Pyrethrin
Disruption of normal transmission of nerve
impulses, causing virtually instant paralysis in
insects.
Some insects can detoxify Pyrethrin and recover
from the initial knockdown so most pyrethrins are
combined with a synergist, which blocks the
insects ability to break down the toxin.
Pyrethroids
Synthetic compounds that resemble pyrethrins
in chemical structure but are more toxic to
insects.
May last 10 days or more compared to a few
hours for the natural botanicals.
Permethrin
Synthetic Pyrethroid family.
First marketed in 1973.
Used on, nursery stock, cotton corn,
home use.
Can persist up to 3 days.
Coalition for alternatives to pesticides, Eugene, or., journal of pesticide
reform/summer 1998 vol 18. No 2141
Permethrin
Toxic to honey bees and other beneficial
insects such as; Mayflies, Damselflies, it is
highly toxic to fish and aquatic insects.
A wide variety of insects have developed
resistance to permethrin such as; cockroaches,
head lice and tobacco budworm.
Pesticide Persistence
All pesticides break down - eventually into
hydrogen, carbon and oxygen.
Short Lived pesticides, Some break down in hours
or a few days
Long lived or persistent pesticides, determined by:
conditions of temperature, sunlight, air and
location.
Insect Resistance Mechanisms
Metabolic Resistance
Metabolic resistance is the most common mechanism.
Resistant insects may detoxify or destroy the toxin
faster than susceptible insects, or quickly rid their
bodies of the toxic molecules.
Insects use their internal enzyme systems to break
down insecticides.
Resistant strains may possess higher levels or
more efficient forms of these enzymes.
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Insect Resistance Mechanisms
Penetration Resistance
Outer cuticle of the insect slows the absorption of a
broad range of chemicals.
Penetration resistance is often present along with
other forms of resistance.
Behavioral Resistance
Resistant insects may detect or recognize a danger
and avoid the toxin.
This mechanism of resistance has been reported for
several classes of insecticides, including
organochlorines, organophosphates, carbamates and
pyrethroids.
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What is the level of arthropod resistance?
Over 550 species of arthropods are resistant to pesticides
88% insects, 12% mites
Most of those insects come from 4 groups:
Coleoptera (Beetles)
Diptera (Flies)
Hemiptera (Sucking Bugs)
Lepidoptera (Moths & Butterflies)
60%+ of all resistant arthropods are agricultural pests
Rest are:
animal health (ticks and lice)
public health (flies, mosquitoes, cockroaches)
stored product pests (grain beetles)
non-target organisms (predatory mites)
Source: Arthropod Pesticide Resistance Database – Michigan State University
Resurgence
When the predators, parasitoids or
pathogens that would naturally control the
pest are temporarily removed or drastically
reduced in numbers.
Resurgence
The remaining pest multiply with fewer restraints,
the problem can even worsen.
Aphids, spider mites, thrips, whiteflies…..
Resistance
Insects are among the most adaptable
organisms on the face of the earth.
Managed to survive 400 million years by
adjusting to changes in their environment.
There are over 500 pest species that exhibit
some level of resistance to at least one type of
insecticide.
Good News?
1-2003 Biotech crops in Iowa alone reduced
farmers’ reliance on pesticides by nearly 46
million pounds. http://www.ifbf.org/fullarticle
2-
Better Ways to Control Pest
Integrated Pest Management
IPM
Identify the problem first.
Start with the least toxic solution first.
Beneficial insects, water, bio-pesticides.
Give it some time and Persistances.
Bio-Rational Insecticides
Can be Specific to that insect or more selective
to that pest.
Non-target insects or animals are not affected
at all or very little.
Bio Pesticides
Examples:
Bacillus thuringiensis,
avermectins (abamectin),
spinosad,
Azadirachtin
Myco-insecticides (Beauveria bassiana).
Bio-Pesticides
For example, some bacteria and fungi produce antibiotics to
kill other microbes. We don’t call these antibiotics
“pesticides,” but that’s exactly what they are. To a bacterial
cell, a microbe of a different species is often nothing more
than a competitive pest that should die. So, it produces
chemicals with the intention of killing it. That’s a pesticide.
Bio-Pesticdes
“Plants do the same thing.
From a plant’s point of view, many insects are
nothing more than dangerous, leaf-eating
parasites that should die.
So plants produce insecticides, like caffeine
and nicotine, to keep those obnoxious, six-
legged vegetarians away. (They also produce
pesticides to keep the furry, four-legged
vegetarians away, too.)”
By Alex Berezow — June 13, 2017 99.99% of Pesticides We Eat Are Produced by Plants Themselves
Diseases formulated
as sprays
Nontoxic to mammals,
Not systemic. Must be consumed by insect
(e.g., caterpillars).
Various fungi non-persistent (very short).
Milky spore disease for Japanese
beetle grubs. First used in 1948
Bacillus Thuringiensis v. Kurstaki for
worms found on trees & veggies.
Bt v. Isralensis for mosquito control,
black flies and fungus gnats, midges.
Bt v. San Diego for larvae of Colorado
potato beetle, elm leaf beetle.
Beauveria bassiana (BotaniGard).
Nosema Locustae a type of protozoa,
for grasshopper control.
Nucleopolyhedrosis virus (NPV) for
Gypsy Moth control.
Beneficial Insects
Lady Bugs and their larvae.
Green Lacewings, eggs and larvae.
Praying Mantids.
Beneficial Nematodes.
Trichogramma wasps.
Encarsia formosa (Whitefly parasite).
Minute Pirate Bugs.
Bee Fly
TYPES OF FOMULATION
Aqueous solutions (AC)- Active materials that readily
dissolve in water but not in organic solvents are usually
formulated as aqueous concentrates.
Emulsifiable Concentrates (Ec)- EC formulations usually
contain an oil-soluble liquid active ingredient, a petroleum-
based solvent, and an emulsifier (mixing agent). The emulsifier
allows the active ingredient in the solvent to mix with water,
these form an emulsion. ECs are versatile formulations that can
be applied with many types of sprayers
TYPES OF FOMULATION
Water soluble powders (WSP)- are powders that
dissolve easily into water much like sugar. This is a popular
formulation in pest control because of ease of use since
they usually come is pre-measured packets.
Wettable powders- are one of the most widely used
pesticide formulations. Solutions Pest & Lawn carries some
of the best wettable powder insecticide concentrates on
the market. Wettable powders are effective and are a
great alternative means of tackling invading bugs to
consider for your pest control program.
TYPES OF FOMULATION
Granules or pellets- the active materials is combined
with inert ingredient formed into particles amount the
size of coarse sugar or pellets. They are applied in dry
forms, directed to the whorl or soil where the
pesticide is released by moisture to be taken up by the
plant roots.
Dusts- these formulations usually contained 4-10
percent active ingredient. They are applied in dry
form. Some pesticides are seldom formulated as dust
due to drift problems
TYPES OF FOMULATION
Aerosols- the active ingredient is suspended in a
container under pressure.
Flowables- the active ingredient and diluent are
found to near colloidal dimension, suspended a small
amount of liquid
ULV Concentrates- are formulation design to be
applied at very low volumes per hectare. Volume is
about 4 liter/ha or lower can be applied using a ULV
(ultra low volume) applicator.
Pesticide Calculation
Defined as the process of determining the
correct amount of an insecticide product diluted
in a given volume of carrier (usually water) so
that when used with the application equipment,
after calibration, the desired application rate is
properly met.
Active ingredient percentage
Sample Problem:
If Anna wans to know the active
ingredient percentage of
imidaclorpid from two newly
released insecticide at her favorite
store.
FORMULA:
% of Active ingredient =Active ingredient) x 100
Pesticide (volume)
Note:
1 L = 1000ml
1kg = 1000g
1L = 1kg
Given:
Ai (Active Ingredient)
Insecticide A = 656 g/L
Insecticide B = 321g/L
%= ?
Solution:
