Agricultural chemicals developing

Agricultural Chemical Development Information-Bulletin, No. 109, Juni 1957. 

Manufacturers and specialist materials development associations publish extensive corrosion data in the form of monographs, and this form of presentation is also used in national standards. The most recent comprehensive text in this category is perhaps the publication by the Zinc Development Association . The work is important in that the section on chemicals also deals with common, though complex, chemical formulations, e.g. Are-extinguisher fluids, soaps and syndets, agricultural chemicals such as pesticides and fertilisers. This publication also demonstrates the mammoth task of recording all the available data for just one material. A comparable book for mild steel would probably be much larger, whereas for many other materials the information has not yet been determined. Thus at best, only very incomplete data are available in this form. 

Experience with chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), insecticides such as DDT, herbicides and fertilizers has taught us that extended stability of these products may lead to unexpected harmfiil results. An important challenge will be to develop novel products that have a limited stable life and then decompose so that they do not persist in this environment. Examples are the development of plastic packages that decompose and degrade with time and of agricultural chemicals that do not harm unintended targets and are not overly persistent. 

Agricultural chemical companies conduct experimental research on new products to provide data to the EPA for registration of their products. Both the EPA and the agricultural chemical companies require that the data represent actual use conditions as closely as possible. The goal of small batch processing of samples is to simulate typical commercial practices as closely as possible. Therefore, SOPs that reflect commercial practices should be developed to meet the GLP specification. 

Based on the patch method to assess worker or re-entry exposure, researchers have developed a database, which may be used to estimate exposure. Each patch from an individual in a study can be entered into the database separately, the residue data from patches from various body areas can be summed to yield a whole-body exposure number, and the data may be sorted as to worker tasks, equipment used, protective clothing worn, formulation types and other parameters. This is the basis for the currently used Pesticide Handlers Data Base (PHED), which was developed through a joint effort in the 1980s of CropLife America [formerly known as American Crop Protection Association (ACPA) and National Agricultural Chemicals Association (NACA)], the Environmental Protection Agency (ERA) and Health Canada. " The PHED is discussed in detail in another article in this book. 

Even though exposure to environmental agents such as agricultural chemicals, pesticides, and radiation has been associated with leukemia, none of these agents is linked conclusively with the development of leukemia. An increased frequency of ALL is associated with higher socioeconomic status. It is postulated that less social contact in early infancy and thus a late exposure to some common infectious agents may have some impact.7 In most individual instances, there is no reasonable or obvious explanation for the development of leukemia. 

This type of control should extend not only to agricultural chemicals but for all types of bulk and packaged preparations which are offered for sale as pesticides. No better standard than the old, well worn axiom, it s better to be safe than to be sorry, could be used by the pesticide industry in the development and distribution of its products. 

The chemist should recognize the requirements for a new agricultural chemical—effectiveness, economy, specificity, and safety. His responsibilities are to effect cooperation with all contributing researchers, increase specificity of action, make available the most practical materials we have today, and develop new chemicals which better fulfill the over-all requirements. 

ApoCom is a pre-eminent provider of computational tools and services to assist the research community in their quest to identify new DNA coding regions for use in the discovery of new drugs, diagnostics, and the development of enhanced crops. ApoCom Genomics supports companies and researchers active in pharmaceutical, biomedical, agricultural, chemical, and environmental research. 

The development of pyrethroids over the last century can be divided into two categories (1) ingredients of household insecticides for use in and around the home, emphasizing safety, and (2) photostable ingredients for outdoor use as agricultural chemicals and for larvicides of sanitary pests. Chemically stable pyrethroids, which were initially developed for outdoor use, are sometimes applied indoors. In such cases, it is absolutely essential to resolve problems, including persistent residues of such compounds indoors, and environmental issues. 

According to the US national population census, it is said that the world population will increase by about 30% from about 6.9 billion (2010) to 9.2 billion in 2050. Since these figures include starving populations, a more than 30% increase in food supply will be needed. Agricultural chemicals are indispensable because farming areas are limited and, therefore, it is unavoidable that the development of novel agricultural chemicals including novel photostable pyrethroids is and will be repeatedly followed by the development of resistance in insects. 

Pharmaceuticals, unlike industrial chemicals, agricultural chemicals, and environmental agents, are intended to have human exposure and biological activity. And, unlike these materials and food additives, pharmaceuticals are intended to have biological effects on the people that receive them. Frequently, the interpretation of results and the formulation of decisions about the continued development and... 

An expert system has been written which helps the agricultural chemist develop formulations for new biologically active chemicals. The decision making process is segmented into two parts. The first is which type of formulation to use. The second is how to make a formulation of that tyrpe with the chemical of interest. The knowledge base currently contains rules to determine which formulation type to try and how to make an emulsifiable concentrate. The next phase will add rules on how to make other types of formulations. The program also interfaces to several FORTRAN programs which perform calculations such as solubilities. 

Current address Agricultural Chemical Group, Chemical Research and Development, FMC Corporation, Princeton, NJ 08540... 

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