Home |
Search |
Today's Posts |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
Insecticides with Plant Oils as Active Ingredients
Insecticides with Plant Oils as Active Ingredients
The Green Light Company (P.O. Box 17985, San Antonio, TX 78217, web site http://www.greenlightco.com) recently introduced Bioganic(R) Home & Garden Spray RTU and Bioganic(R) Lawn & Garden Spray RTS, both containing plant oils as active (and also as ³inert²) ingredients. According to Green Light, ³Bioganic products were developed to provide consumers with formulations that are safe around children, pets, and the environment. They are 100% organic [meaning that they meet the requirements of the U.S. Department of Agriculture¹s National Organic Program], both sprays kill and repel insects, and may be used on vegetables up until the day of harvest. These unique products have broad label uses (ornamentals, potted plants, etc.).² Judging from information provided by Green Light and additional information available on the World Wide Web (especially at the sites http://www.ecopco.com and http://www.ecoipm.com), these new insecticides combine extraordinary safety and efficacy‹ they soon might be the products of choice even for home gardeners who currently use conventional broad-spectrum sprays! Below are excerpts from a recent Green Light press release. Green Light Bioganic(R) products employ the natural defenses that plants ... have used for their self-protection against insects and pathogens for centuries‹essential oils. After many years of researching the natural defenses of plants, Green Light introduces revolutionary and proprietary combinations of effective insecticidal plant oils that offer reduced-risk alternatives. In addition, there is less probability insects will become resistant to the oils, a problem common to most insecticides currently in use. The active ingredients in the Bioganic(R) line of products are unique blends of essential oils. [According to the Material Safety Data Sheets, available at the Green Light web site listed above, the active ingredients in both the Home & Garden Spray and the Lawn & Garden Spray are clove oil, sesame oil, and thyme oil, while the inert ingredients in both products are wintergreen oil, soybean oil, lecithin, and water. Not counting water or lecithin, the concentrations of active and inert ingredients are higher in the Lawn & Garden Spray (which is formulated for hoseend spraying) than in Home & Garden Spray (which is formulated for finger-trigger spraying).] Approved as Direct Food Additives or classified as GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, these oils are commonly used to add flavor and aroma to many cosmetic, beverage, and food products, including cake, candy, sweeteners, gum, soft drinks, and lipstick.... Researchers began evaluating different plant oils to determine if they had insecticidal activity. It was determined that these oils shared a common molecular structure and that by combining a variety of these plant oils, the combination could enhance their activity. A patent was granted for this work. The combination significantly enhanced the effectiveness of these products without compromising their safety. THESE NEW ACTIVE INGREDIENTS ARE SO REVOLUTIONARY THAT THEY HAVE GAINED THE INTEREST AND ENDORSEMENT OF PROMINENT ENTOMOLOGISTS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. Green Light Bioganic(R) ... plant oils kill insects by blocking specific neural pathways [in insects] that don¹t exist in mammals or birds. These plant oils attack the octopamine neuroreceptors. Octopamine is a key insect neurotransmitter that regulates insect movement, behavior, and metabolism. The blockage of the receptor activity prevents the transmission of the octopamine signals, which leads to certain characteristic signs of toxicity, such as excitation and hyperextension in the hind legs and abdomen, followed by immobilization and/or knockdown, followed by death of the insect. This process will begin immediately. Mortality in insects can occur within minutes of application but might take hours depending on the type of insect pest and concentration of product that contacts the insect directly.... Residues degrade rapidly and are not persistent ... [with] minimal impact on beneficial insects ... Not phytotoxic ... The Material Safety Data Sheets for the Bioganic(R) insecticides state: ³The individual components of this product are known to have low oral and dermal toxicity. This mixture is expected to have a similar toxicological profile. Prolonged contact with the skin may cause irritation.² Among the target insect pests for the Bioganic(R) products are these: ants, aphids, caterpillars, centipedes, cockroaches, earwigs, fleas, flies, gnats, grasshoppers, millipedes, mosquitoes, pillbugs (sowbugs), spiders, ticks, and whiteflies. Both formulations can be ordered from the Green Light web site if you can¹t find a local retail outlet; one quart of the Home & Garden Spray costs $10 plus shipping, and one quart of the Lawn & Garden Spray costs $12 plus shipping. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Reprinted with permission from the April 2003 _HortIdeas_. Copyright 2003 by Greg and Pat Williams. HORTIDEAS (ISSN 0742-8219) is published monthly by Gregory and Patricia Y. Williams, 750 Black Lick Road, Gravel Switch, KY 40328 U.S.A. Annual subscription rates: U.S., $25.00 periodicals or $27.00 first class; Canada and Mexico, $32.00; Overseas, $30.00 surface mail or $42.00 air mail. Single issues: North America, $2.50 each; Overseas, $3.00 each, surface mail, or $4.00 each, air mail. The email address for HORTIDEAS is: . _HortIdeas_ is now on the world wide web at http://www.users.mis.net/~gwill/hi-index.htm -- Bob Batson "Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines" |
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Forum | |||
Herbicides/weed killers - active ingredients? Effectiveness? | Gardening | |||
Herbicides/weed killers - active ingredients? Effectiveness? | Australia | |||
Herbicides/weed killers - active ingredients? Effectiveness? | Plant Science | |||
Ecoaromuz organic herbs and essential oils | Plant Biology |