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Natural products in plant protection

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Abstract

Natural products can be used to control pests and diseases in crops. These products include anorganic compounds, but also a variety of plant extracts. In the beginning of this century active microbial extracts were discovered as well. Synthetic crop protection chemicals were developed from about 1940 onwards and sustained progress in modern agriculture. The first generation chemicals have aspecific modes of toxic action and are in many instances deleterious to the environment. The second generation chemicals have specific modes of action and meet modern environmental requirements. A disadvantage of these chemicals is the potency of target organisms to acquire resistance. This condition urged agrochemical industry to develop chemicals with new modes of action. Such chemicals can be developed by using natural bioactive products as leads in synthesis programmes.

This paper decribes the progress that was made in the development of natural bioactive compounds in pest and disease control.

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  1. A. B. K. Jespers

    Present address: Household and Personal Care Research B.V., P.O. Box 16299, 2500 AE, The Hague, the Netherlands

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Phytopathology, Wageningen Agricultural University, P.O. Box 8025, 6700 EE, Wageningen, the Netherlands

    A. B. K. Jespers & M. A. De Waard

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  1. A. B. K. Jespers
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  2. M. A. De Waard
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Jespers, A.B.K., De Waard, M.A. Natural products in plant protection. Neth. J. Pl. Path. 99 (Suppl 3), 109–117 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03041401

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