TEMPERATURE-ACTIVATED INSECTICIDE AND HERBICIDE COMPOSITIONS

MANY CROP PESTS ARE TEMPERATURE-REGULATED. FOR EXAMPLE, THEMEDIAN EMERGENCE OF NORTHERN CORN ROOTWORM LARVAE REQUIRES THE ACCUMULATION OF 529.9 DEGREE DAYS ABOVE 11.1 DEGREES C. ACCURATE TIMING OF INSECTICIDE OR HERBICIDE APPLICATION, TO COINCIDE WITH THE EMERGENCE OF A CROP PEST, WOULD PROVIDESIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN PEST CONTROL AND AGENT UTILIZATION. LANDEC LABS, INC. HAS DEVELOPED NOVEL POLYMERIC MATERIALS CAPABLE OF RELEASING COMMON INSECTICIDES AND HERBICIDES OVER A NARROW TEMPERATURE RANGE. IT IS PROPOSED TO DEVELOP A METHOD FOR ENCAPSULATING ACTIVE AGENTS WITH THIS POLYMER TO PROVIDE A TEMPERATURE-ACTIVATED DELIVERY SYSTEM FOR AGRICULTURAL USE. RELEASE CHARACTERISTICS OF THESE ENCAPSULATED AGENTS IN A SOIL ENVIRONMENT WILL BE DETERMINED OVER THE TEMPERATURE RANGE FROM 0 TO 40 DEGREES C.