Phytosanitary composition comprising essential oils that potentiate antifungal activity

Abstract

The present invention relates to phytosanitary compositions with fungicidal properties that comprise a mixture of essential oils obtained from plants and agents with known fungicidal properties, such as alkali metal or ammonium bicarbonates, and compounds based on copper or the salts thereof, for use, principally, in contact-protection against fungal infections in cultivated plants and post-harvest, and also in other antifungal applications. In said compositions, the effect of the agents that have known fungicidal properties is potentiated synergistically by the aforementioned essential oils. The present invention also relates to the use of said essential oils as potentiators for agents with known fungicidal properties.

1 . A phytosanitary composition having antifungal activity comprising: 1) one or more essential oils obtained from plants and 2) one or more agents having fungicidal properties selected from the group consisting of carbonates and bicarbonates of lithium, sodium and potassium, and ammonium carbonate, ammonium bicarbonate, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         2 . A phytosanitary composition according to  claim 1 , the essential oil is selected from the group consisting of thyme oil ( Thymus vulgaris ), oregano oil ( Origanum vulgaris ), clove oil ( Syzygium aromaticum ), nutmeg oil ( Myristica fragrans ), cinnamon oil ( Cinnamomum zeylanicum ), laurel oil ( Laurus nobilis ), orange oil ( Citrus×sinensis ), mint oil ( Mentha×piperita ), valerian oil ( Valeriana officinalis ), citronella oil ( Cymbopogon nardos ), lavender oil ( Lavanda angustifolia ), jojoba oil ( Simmondsia californica ), rosemary oil ( Rosemarinus officianalis ), neem oil ( Azadirachta indica ), cottonseed oil ( Gossypium hirsutum ) and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         3 . A phytosanitary composition according to  claim 1  wherein the essential oil is selected from the group consisting of: phenolic monoterpenoids, allylbenzenes, monosubstituted phenols, cyclic monoterpenes, bicyclic monoterpenes and linear, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         4 . A phytosanitary composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the agent having fungicidal properties is a contact fungicide. 
     
     
         5 . A phytosanitary composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the agent having fungicidal properties is potassium bicarbonate. 
     
     
         6 . A phytosanitary composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the quantity of essential oil is from 0.01% to 99.99% by weight of the total composition. 
     
     
         7 . A phytosanitary composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the quantity of the agent having fungicidal properties is from 99.99% to 0.01% by weight of the total composition. 
     
     
         8 . A phytosanitary composition according  claim 1 , wherein the composition is in liquid or solid form, such as a suspension, dispersion, emulsion, spray, microencapsulate or other type of mixture which remains stable over time or is incorporated in polymers, waxes or any other similar support. 
     
     
         9 . A phytosanitary composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the phytosanitary composition further comprises as additives surfactants, polymers, alkalinising agents, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         10 . A phytosanitary composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises a fertiliser selected from the group consisting of urea, melamine, hexamine, dicyanodiamide, ameline, cyanuric acid, melamine nitrate, triethyl phosphate and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         11 . A phytosanitary composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises a compound selected from a group consisting of: herbicides, insecticides, plant growth regulators and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . A phytosanitary composition of  claim 1  wherein the essential oil is selected from the group consisting of: carivacrol, thynol, eugenol, trans-cinnamaldehyde, limonene, camphene, nerol, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         18 . A method of disinfecting harvested agricultural prodocuts comprising contacting said products with a phytosanitary composition comprising a plant essential oil selected from the group consisting of: thyme oil ( thymus vulgaris ), oregano oil ( origanum vulgaris ), clove oil ( syzygium aromaticum ), nutmeg oil ( myristica fragrans ), cinnamon oil ( cinnamomun zeylanicum ) laurel oil ( Laurus noloilis ) orange oil ( citrus×sinensis ), mint oil ( Mentha×piperita ), valerian oil ( Valeriana officinalis ) citronella oil ( Cymbopogon nardos ), lavendar oil ( Lavanda angustifolia ), jajoba oil ( Simmondsia californica ) rosemary oil ( Rosemarinus officinalis ), neem oil ( Azadirachta indica ), cottonseed oil ( Gossypium hirsutum ), and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         19 . A method of disinfecting harvested agricultural products comprising contacting said products with a phytosanitary composition comprising an active agent selected from the group consisting of: an alkali metal carbonate, an alkali metal bicarbonate, ammonimum carbonate, ammonium bicarbonate copper-containing fungicidal agents, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the alkali metal of the carbonate and/or bicarbonate is lithum sodium or potassium. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the active agent is potassium bicarbonate.