Method of controlling pests with biosurfactant penetrants as carriers for active agents

Abstract

A penetrating composition can include an active agent that has an activity that is either beneficial for plants or controls pests. The composition can also include a penetrant that is present in an effective amount for carrying the at least one active agent into or through a medium, the medium being at least one of a plant, soil, or pest. Also, penetrating composition can be used for increasing the permeation of an active agent in an animal. The composition includes an active agent having an activity that is beneficial for an animal. Also, the composition includes a penetrant selected from the group consisting of biosurfactants, glycolipids, lipopeptides, favolipids, lipoproteins, phospholipids, lipopolysaccharide-protein complexes, polysaccharide-protein-fatty acid complexes, and combinations thereof. A biosurfactant composition can include an effective amount of a biosurfactant for controlling a pest, preserving a plant cutting, or reducing effects of environmental stress on a plant.

1 . A method for controlling pests, the method comprising:
 obtaining a homogeneous penetrating composition comprising:
 at least one active agent in an effective amount to have an activity of controlling a pest so as to kill, disable, and/or immobilize the pest; and 
 at least one biosurfactant penetrant selected from the group of glycolipids, rhamnolipids, lipopeptides, flavolipids, lipoproteins, phospholipids, lipopolysaccharide-protein complexes, or polysaccharide-protein-fatty acid complexes having the at least one active agent in the effective amount homogeneously dispersed therein, the at least one biosurfactant penetrant being present in an effective amount for carrying the at least one active agent in the effective amount into or through the pest in order to control the pest; and 
   providing the homogeneous penetrating composition to a pest in an amount such that the pest is substantially controlled with the active agent.   
     
     
         2 . The method as in  claim 1 , further comprising at least one additional penetrant selected from the group consisting of aliphatic sulfones, acyclic sulfones, sulfones, sulfoxides, polyvinylpyrrolidone, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein the at least one active agent is selected from the group consisting of pesticides, elicitors, biopesticides, biopesticide byproducts, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The method as in  claim 3 , further comprising at least one solubility controlling agent. 
     
     
         5 . The method as in  claim 4 , wherein the solubility controlling agent is selected from the group consisting of slow release cross-linked swellable gel, slow release cross-linked swellable polyacrylamide gel, wax, chitin, chitosan, C12-C20 fatty acid, myristic acid, stearic acid, palmitic acid, C12-C20 alcohol, lauryl alcohol, cetyl alcohol, myristyl alcohol, stearyl alcohol, amphiphilic esters of fatty acids, glycerol, monoester C12-C20 fatty acids, glyceryl monolaurate, glyceryl monopalmitate, glycerol esters of fatty acids, polyethylene monostearate, polypropylenemonopalmitate glycols, C12-C20 amines, lauryl amine, mystyl amine, stearyl amine, amide C12-C20 fatty acids, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The method as in  claim 3 , wherein the at least one active agent is complexed or chelated with the at least one biosurfactant penetrant. 
     
     
         7 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein the biosurfactant penetrant is selected from the group consisting of glycolipids, lipopeptides, flavolipids, rhamnolipids, lipoproteins, phospholipids, lipopolysaccharide-protein complexes, polysaccharide-protein-fatty acid complexes and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein the biosurfactant penetrant is a glycolipid and the active agent is a pesticide. 
     
     
         9 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein the composition is a liquid homogenous composition. 
     
     
         10 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein the composition is a homogeneous solid, or paste composition. 
     
     
         11 . The method as in  claim 1 , comprising preparing the homogeneous penetrating composition, the preparing comprising one or more of the following:
 mixing for about 10 minutes;   mixing under heat;   compression molding the homogeneous composition;   tabletting the homogeneous composition;   pressing the homogeneous composition;   extruding the homogeneous composition;   injection molding the homogeneous composition; or   liquefying the homogeneous composition.   
     
     
         12 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein the biosurfactant is obtained from a microbe selected from the group of:  Pseudomonas  species;  Flavobacterium  species;  Candida  species;  Rhodococcus  species; or  Arthrobacter  species. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising cultivating a microbe so as to produce the biosurfactant. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the biosurfactant includes a rhamnolipid and/or a sophorlipid. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the pests are selected from fungi, nematodes, leafminers, citrus leafminers, borers, flat-head borers, leaf spot fungi, insects, mosquitoes, ants, eggs thereof, or larva thereof. 
     
     
         16 . A method for controlling pests, the method comprising:
 obtaining a homogeneous penetrating composition comprising:
 at least one active agent in a first effective amount to have an activity of controlling a pest so as to kill, disable, and/or immobilize the pest; and 
 at least one biosurfactant penetrant selected from the group of glycolipids, rhamnolipids, lipopeptides, flavolipids, lipoproteins, phospholipids, lipopolysaccharide-protein complexes, or polysaccharide-protein-fatty acid complexes having the at least one active agent in the first effective amount homogeneously dispersed therein, the at least one biosurfactant penetrant being present in a second effective amount for carrying the at least one active agent in the effective amount into or through the pest in order to control the pest, wherein the first effective amount is larger than the second effective amount; and 
   providing the homogeneous penetrating composition to a pest in an amount such that the pest is substantially controlled with the active agent.   
     
     
         17 . The method as in  claim 16 , wherein the biosurfactant penetrant is a glycolipid and the active agent is a pesticide. 
     
     
         18 . A method for controlling pests, the method comprising:
 obtaining a homogeneous penetrating composition comprising:
 at least one active agent in a first effective amount to have an activity of controlling a pest so as to kill, disable, and/or immobilize the pest; and 
 at least one microbial biosurfactant penetrant obtained from a microbe and selected from the group of glycolipids, rhamnolipids, lipopeptides, or flavolipids, having the at least one active agent in the first effective amount homogeneously dispersed therein, the at least one biosurfactant penetrant being present in a second effective amount for carrying the at least one active agent in the effective amount into or through the pest in order to control the pest, wherein the first effective amount is larger than the second effective amount; 
   providing the homogeneous penetrating composition to a pest in an amount such that the pest is substantially controlled with the active agent.   
     
     
         19 . The method as in  claim 18 , wherein the biosurfactant is obtained from a microbe selected from the group of:  Pseudomonas  species;  Flavobacterium  species;  Candida  species;  Rhodococcus  species; or  Arthrobacter  species. 
     
     
         20 . The method as in  claim 18 , wherein the biosurfactant penetrant is a glycolipid and the active agent is a pesticide.