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Use of natural products in the crop protection industry

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An Erratum to this article was published on 01 September 2010

Abstract

Nature is a rich source of compounds exhibiting biological activity against weeds, plant diseases, insects and mites. Many of these natural products have complex structures, insufficient biological activity and low persistence under field conditions. Thus the share of natural products being used as active ingredients per se in today’s crop protection market is relatively small. In some cases the natural products have been further modified to provide semi-synthetic derivatives with improved biological properties. More importantly, natural products served as lead structures inspiring chemists to prepare new synthetic analogues with often improved biological activity, simplified structures, increased safety towards humans and the environment and an optimized persistence. This article is not an extensive review of natural products in crop protection, but it discusses some examples illustrating the use of natural products per se, their use as starting materials to prepare semi-synthetic products, and their use as lead structures to prepare new synthetic products which may in the end bear no resemblance to the initial lead.

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Acknowledgments

I wish to acknowledge all colleagues at Syngenta who contributed with useful discussions or who helped with revisions of the manuscript. Particular thanks go to Andrew J. F. Edmunds, Christopher R. A. Godfrey, Roger G. Hall, Fiona Murphy Kessabi and T. Pitterna.

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  1. Syngenta Crop Protection Münchwilen AG, Schaffhauserstrasse, WST-820.1.15, 4332, Stein, Switzerland

    Ottmar Franz Hüter

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Correspondence to Ottmar Franz Hüter.

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An erratum to this article can be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11101-010-9193-x

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Hüter, O.F. Use of natural products in the crop protection industry. Phytochem Rev 10, 185–194 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11101-010-9168-y

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