Pesticide Discovery

Question 1

Herbicide discovery

Answer 1

• 1800s inorganic metals
• 1900s first synthesized herbicides
• 1940s now we can isolate and formulate specific things like 2,4-D
• 1970s glyphosate

Question 2

Insecticide discovery

Answer 2

• 1700s used things we found in nature with very low selectivity
• 1940s isolation and synthesis (DDT)
• 1950s really nasty organophosphates
• 1960s BT application and hormone mimics
• 1990s GMO BT crops

Question 3

Fungicide discovery

Answer 3

• 1800s inorganic non target things
• 1900s isolation and synthesis
• 1950s Captan synthesized and we still use it b/c fungi aren’t getting resistant
• 70s to 90s getting better understanding of pathways so we create less non target fungicides

Question 4

How does BT work?

Answer 4

Endotoxin crystal is attached to spore. When it’s ingested by an insect, the endotoxin becomes an activated toxin and puts holes in the gut of the insect.

Question 5

How have transgenic crops been beneficial?

Answer 5

Roundup ready crops
BT crops

Crops that are resistant to pesticides and crops that produce pesticides

Question 6

Creating new pesticides requirements

Answer 6

1. Broad spectrum control
2. Used on major global crops
3. Easy/inexpensive
4. No non target toxicity
5. Mobile but not too mobile
6. Advantages over other products on the market

Question 7

Avg cost to bring pesticide to market

Answer 7

$286 million

Question 8

Stages of getting a pesticide to market

Answer 8

1. Screening (find the right compound)
2. Toxicology
3. Field trials (prove that it works)
4. Registration (takes the longest. Govnt permission)
5. Engineering (what do you add to the active ingredient to ship it to producers?)