Natural products: a strategic lead generation approach in crop protection discovery

Pest Manag Sci. 2019 Sep;75(9):2301-2309. doi: 10.1002/ps.5350. Epub 2019 Mar 10.

Abstract

With the anticipated population growth in the coming decades, the changing regulatory environment, and the continued emergence of resistance to commercial pesticides, there is a constant need to discover new lead chemistries with novel modes of action. We have established a portfolio of approaches to accelerate lead generation. One of these approaches capitalizes on the rich bioactivity of natural products (NPs), highlighted by the numerous examples of NP-based crop protection compounds. Within Corteva Agriscience and the affiliated preceding companies, NPs have been a fruitful approach, for nearly three decades, to identifying and bringing to the market crop protection products inspired by or originating from NPs, . Included in these NP-based crop protection products are the spinosyns family of insecticides, and those from more recent areas of NP-based fungicidal chemistry, as highlighted in this perspective. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

Keywords: agrochemicals; biologics; crop protection; genomics; lead generation; natural products.

MeSH terms

  • Biological Products / chemistry*
  • Crop Protection*
  • Fungicides, Industrial / chemistry*
  • Insecticides / chemistry*
  • Macrolides / chemistry*

Substances

  • Biological Products
  • Fungicides, Industrial
  • Insecticides
  • Macrolides