The new age of insecticide discovery-the crop protection industry and the impact of natural products

• Published in: Pesticide biochemistry and physiology Vol. 161; pp. 12 - 22
• Main Authors: Sparks, Thomas C., Wessels, Frank J., Lorsbach, Beth A., Nugent, Benjamin M., Watson, Gerald B.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.11.2019
• Subjects: Agrochemical and crop protection industry; Agrochemical discovery; Animals; Biological Products - pharmacology; business enterprises; Crops, Agricultural; disease vectors; economic impact; European Union; food production; industry; insect control; insect resistance; Insecticide discovery; Insecticide resistance; insecticides; Insecticides - pharmacology; Japan; mechanism of action; Mode of action; Natural products; pests; plant cultural practices; plant protection; United States; vector control; United States; Japan; Agrochemical and crop protection industry; Insecticide resistance; Agrochemical discovery; Natural products; Insecticide discovery; Mode of action
• ISSN: 0048-3575; 1095-9939; 1095-9939
• DOI: 10.1016/j.pestbp.2019.09.002

Improvements in food production and disease vector control, to feed and protect an expanding global population, require new options and approaches for insect control. A changing and an increasingly stringent regulatory landscape, shifts in pest spectrum due to changes in agronomic practices, and insect resistance to existing insecticides, all contribute to the challenges of, and need for, developing new insect control agents. The nature of insecticides emanating from discovery R&D-based companies in the European Union, Japan, and the United States have evolved from a concentration on a few classes of insecticides and modes of action (MoA), to a far more diversified collection of insecticidal molecules that embody many new, or under-utilized MoAs. Since 1990 there has arguably been a new age of insecticide discovery, with more new classes of insecticides introduced, with greater economic impact, than the prior 50 years combined. Although there has been an on-going evolution and consolidation in the size and shape of the crop protection industry, for the past two decades the output of new insecticides has remained relatively constant. The diversity of approaches employed in the insecticide discovery process (competitor inspired, bioactive hypothesis and natural products) has contributed to the discovery of these new classes of insecticides. Insecticide discovery is today a global enterprise, that armed with new tools and capabilities, will continue to build and provide the future insect control products to meet global grower and consumer demands. Timeline for the major classes of insecticides highlighting the numbers of different active ingredients (AIs) in each class. A trendline for the size of the classes shows that, in general, the numbers of AIs in each class have gotton smaller. Also highlighted are the early insecticide classes assocated with the ‘Goldern Age” of insecticide discovery and those commercalized since 1990 representing a ‘New Age” of insecticide discovery yeilding a far greater in number of new insecticide classes than the prior 50 years. [Display omitted] •Since 1990-a new age of insecticide discovery.•Since 1990 more new classes of insecticidal chemistry than the prior 50 years.•Last two decades output of new insecticides has been relatively constant.•Natural products remain an important component in the discovery of new insecticides.