Fungicidal Combinations
Patent No. US12402625 (titled "Fungicidal Combinations") was filed by Upl Ltd on Dec 22, 2020.
What is this patent about?
’625 is related to the field of fungicides , specifically combinations used to control fungal diseases in crops. Farmers rely on fungicides to protect their crops, improve yields, and maintain quality. Existing fungicides have limitations, such as narrow spectrum of activity, decreasing crop tolerance, increasing resistance in fungi, and the need for lower application rates. This patent addresses the need for improved fungicidal combinations that offer a broader disease control spectrum, combining curative and preventive actions, while using lower dosages.
The underlying idea behind ’625 is to create a synergistic fungicidal combination by combining three different types of fungicides: a dithiocarbamate fungicide (specifically mancozeb), a succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor (SDHI) fungicide (specifically benzovindiflupyr), and an ergosterol biosynthesis inhibitor fungicide (specifically prothioconazole). The inventor recognized that this specific three-way combination provides enhanced efficacy compared to using the individual fungicides alone or in other combinations.
The claims of ’625 focus on a three-component fungicidal combination consisting of mancozeb, prothioconazole, and benzovindiflupyr. This specific combination is asserted to provide synergistic disease control, meaning the combined effect is greater than the sum of their individual effects. The claim does not specify application rates or target diseases, but rather the specific combination of active ingredients.
In practice, the three fungicides are mixed together and applied to crops as a foliar spray, ground application, or treatment for plant propagation materials. The mancozeb acts as a multi-site contact fungicide , attacking multiple sites within the fungal cells. The benzovindiflupyr inhibits fungal respiration by binding to the ubiquinone-binding site of the mitochondrial complex II. The prothioconazole inhibits ergosterol biosynthesis , disrupting fungal cell membrane formation. The combination of these three mechanisms provides broad-spectrum disease control.
This combination is differentiated from prior approaches by the specific inclusion of a dithiocarbamate fungicide (mancozeb) with a SDHI fungicide (benzovindiflupyr) and an ergosterol biosynthesis inhibitor fungicide (prothioconazole). Prior art combinations often involved only two fungicides or different combinations of fungicide classes. The addition of mancozeb to the SDHI and ergosterol biosynthesis inhibitor combination results in a surprising enhancement of efficacy, a reduction in fungal disease incidence, delayed senescence, better greening, and increased yield.
How does this patent fit in bigger picture?
Technical landscape at the time
In the mid-2010s when ’625 was filed, fungicides were commonly deployed to protect crops, with SDHI fungicides recognized for their broad-spectrum activity. At a time when single-target site fungicides were becoming less effective due to resistance, combinations of fungicides with different modes of action were increasingly used to broaden the spectrum of disease control and mitigate resistance development. However, formulating stable and effective combinations of multiple active ingredients presented a non-trivial challenge due to potential chemical incompatibilities and the need to optimize application rates for each component.
Novelty and Inventive Step
The patent was allowed because the examiner determined that the prior art did not disclose a fungicidal combination of mancozeb, prothioconazole, and benzovindiflupyr. The examiner also noted that the applicant submitted a declaration showing superior and unexpected fungicidal benefits from this specific combination. Additionally, a terminal disclaimer removed rejections based on obviousness-type double patenting.
Claims
The patent has 4 claims, with claim 1 being independent. Independent claim 1 focuses on a fungicidal combination of mancozeb, prothioconazole, and benzovindiflupyr. The dependent claims elaborate on formulations and methods of application and fungal disease control using the combination in claim 1.
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Date
Description
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US12402625
- Application Number
- US17130193
- Filing Date
- Dec 22, 2020
- Status
- Granted
- Expiry Date
- Oct 30, 2037
- External Links
- Slate, USPTO, Google Patents