CLIAMS:We Claim:
1. A method for preparation of a nanogel for pest management, the method comprising the steps of
selecting an aromatic based gelator;
adding a volatile active agent to the aromatic based gelator to obtain a mixture;
heating the mixture to obtain a homogeneous solution; and
cooling the homogeneous mixture to obtain a nanogel.
2. The method according to claim1, wherein the aromatic based gelator is selected from a group comprising of tri-p-phenylenevinylene and its derivatives.
3. The method according to claim1, wherein the volatile active agent is selected from a group comprising of pheromones, kairomones, para-pheromones, allomones, synomones and their combinations thereof.
4. The method according to claim1, wherein approximately 2 mg to 12 mg of the aromatic based gelator per ml of the volatile active agent is used for preparation of nanogel.
5. The method according to claim1, wherein the heating is done at a temperature ranging from about 50 oC to about 75 oC for a time duration ranging from about 1 minute to about 3 minutes.
6. The method according to claim1, wherein the cooling is done at a temperature ranging from about 20 oC to about 30 oC for a time duration ranging from about 10 minutes to about 15 minutes.
7. A nanogel for pest management comprising of an aromatic based gelator and a volatile active agent.
8. The nanogel according to claim 7, wherein the nanogel has a cross linked fibrillar structure wherein the cross linked fibrillar structure has solvent pockets formed.
9. The nanogel according to claim 7, wherein the volatile active agent is entrapped in the solvent pockets.
10. The nanogel according to claim 7, wherein the nanogel is not hygroscopic in nature and is not moisture sensitive.
11. The nanogel according to claim 7, wherein the volatile active agent is released slowly from the solvent pockets.
12. The nanogel according to claim 7, wherein the slow release is temperature dependent.
13. A device for pest management, wherein the device comprises of
a pheromone entrapped nanogel;
a means for retaining the nanogel; and
a collection apparatus coupled to the retaining means and configured for trapping the pests.
14. The device according to claim 13, wherein the retaining means is a container, wherein the container is selected from a group comprising a thin glass plate, a glass film, a plastic film, a thin plastic plate, a vial, a tube, a bottle, a flask, a tumbler, a beaker, a bowl, a bag, a can, a canister, a carton, a jar, a jug, a kettle, a packet and a capsule.
15. The device according to claim 13, wherein the collection apparatus is at least one selected from a group comprising a thin glass plate, a glass film, a plastic film, a thin plastic plate, a vial, a tube, a bottle, a flask, a tumbler, a beaker, a bowl, a bag, a can, a canister, a carton, a jar, a jug, a kettle, a packet and a capsule.

Bangalore NARENDRA BHATTA HL
January 21, 2014 (INTELLOCOPIA IP SERVICES)
AGENT FOR APPLICANT
,TagSPECI:NANOGELS, METHODS AND DEVICE THEREOF IN PEST MANAGEMENT
FIELD OF INVENTION
The present disclosure relates to the field of pest management and nanotechnology and particularly to a nanogel composition and device employed for pest management.

BACKGROUND
Integrated pest management (IPM), also known as Integrated Pest Control (IPC) is a broad-based approach that integrates a range of practices for economic control of pests. IPM aims to suppress pest populations below the economic injury level (EIL). There have been various methods that have been adopted and employed as part of the integrated pest management approach. Examples of such methods include but are not limited to fumigation, bait-spray method, biological control and male annihilation technique. Fumigants that include but are not limited to ethylene dibromide and methyl bromide have the disadvantage of being carcinogenic leading to destruction of harvest. The Bait spray method utilizes a protein hydrolysate and insecticides such as malathion, which strongly attract fruitflies. But the drawback in the technique is the short life of the protein source. Another disadvantage is a result of wide aerial spraying of a pesticide composition which generally affects both the agricultural areas and areas inhabited by people. The biological control method adopts the sterile insect technique (SIT) which requires the release of millions of sterile flies into the wild population to obtain a strong likelihood of wild females mating with sterile males. However the introduced parasitoids have little impact. The Male annihilation technique (MAT), utilizes the attraction of males to methyl eugenol, ME at very low concentrations and has been used to eradicate B. dorsalis. The inherent disadvantage in using such techniques is that the solution needs to be changed often.
Semiochemicals have been recently used in pest management and its use as a tool in integrated pest management (IPM) is increasing. They belong to an extremely diverse group of chemicals encompassing many functional groups and having at least several hundred members. Law and Regnier (1971) proposed the term 'semiochemicals' for chemicals that mediate interactions between living organisms". This definition is well known and has been in common usage by persons skilled in the art for many years. Semiochemicals transmit signals to members of the same species as well as different species. Often, semiochemicals are not emitted as a pure chemical, but rather as a blend of several compounds. The most studied semiochemicals are the pheromones, which transmit chemical signals within the same species and have been identified in at least 1,600 species.
Kairomones, allomones and synomones are other types of semiochemicals that are intra-specie signals. The terms pheromone, allomone and kairomone are not mutually exclusive. For example, a semiochemical may be a pheromone in one species while the same chemical acts as a kairomone for predators of that species.
In contrast to pesticides, semiochemicals do not work through toxic action and in general are of low toxicity to non-target species. Pesticides tend to be broad spectrum in the organisms affected while semiochemicals are much more specific, affecting at most a few species. Semiochemicals can often replace or substantially reduce the amount of pesticide needed for pest control applications. Semiochemical use in pest management may include strategies such as population monitoring, quarantine trapping, mass trapping, barrier trapping and mating disruption. The widespread use of semiochemicals in pest control applications has been limited partly by difficulties encountered in controlled delivery of the chemicals to the environment. Semiochemical based pest management relies to a large extent on slow release device technology for its successful implementation.
Conventional sprayable pheromone formulations are generally provided in liquid-filled microcapsules containing the pheromone. The shells of the microcapsules are made up of polyurea and are generally semi-permeable. Therefore, active material (pheromones) can diffuse across the shells and be released slowly, a total of 2-3 weeks for most insect pheromones. One significant disadvantage of sprayable pheromone formulations is that potentially, high concentrations of active pheromone in the air can be observed immediately after the delivery or spraying of encapsulated products. This may be attributable to the frequent bursting of microcapsules, or leaks in the microcapsules thus decreasing the shelf life of the capsules and causing frequent replacement.
Highly viscous and thickened hydrogels have been used to deliver pheromones, fragrances and other water insoluble actives. The resulting material is a semi-solid and that is also hydrophilic in nature. The disadvantage of this method is that their water-solubility causes the hydrogels to swell and shrink with changes in humidity, so they cannot be used during all seasons.
Thus, there is a need in the art to develop a simple, practical and low cost green chemical approach that has a significant potential for crop protection, long lasting residual activity, excellent efficacy and favourable safety profiles.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
So that the manner in which the recited features of the invention can be understood in detail, some of the embodiments are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of this invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments.
FIG.1 shows various stages of a nanogel formation, according to an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 2a depicts TEM images of the nanogel showing the existence of the nanofibrillar network according to an embodiment of the invention.
FIG.2b depicts SEM images of the nanogel showing the existence of the nanofibrillar network according to an embodiment of the invention.
FIG.3 shows graphs for rheological studies of the nanogels oscillatory frequency sweep, according to an embodiment of the invention.
FIG.4 shows plots of percent weight losses as a function of time-confirmed sustained ‘release’ pattern of the nanogelled pheromone (ME) studied at various temperatures, according to an embodiment of the invention.
FIG.5 shows GC-MS traces obtained for a pheromone (a) before incorporation into the nanogel; (b) after incorporation into the nanogel; and (c) subsequent to exposure of the nanogel at a location for pest management, according to an embodiment of the invention.
FIG.6 shows plots of percent weight losses at various temperatures as a function of time-confirmed sustained ‘release’ pattern of the pheromone linalool incorporated into the nanogel, according to an embodiment of the invention.
FIG.7a & 7 b shows plots of percent weight losses at various temperatures as a function of time-confirmed sustained ‘release’ pattern of the pheromone Z-9-hexadecenal, Z-11-hexadecenal incorporated into the nanogel, according to an embodiment of the invention
FIG.8 shows comparison of the number of dead flies due to the nanogel with methyl eugenol and the control (ME alone) during a field trial, according to an embodiment of the invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One aspect of the invention provides a method for obtaining a nanogel for pest management comprising an aromatic based gelator and a volatile active agent optionally along with a carrier. The nanogel obtained has ability for a slow release of the active agent by retaining the active agent for an extended period of time.
Yet another aspect of the invention provides a method of controlling pests, said method comprising act(s) of employing the nanogel, optionally along with a carrier or employing the device or the trap on site requiring control of pests.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Various embodiments of the invention provide a nanogel for pest control, the method and the device thereof. All the terms mentioned in the description herein shall be interpreted in their usual and standard meaning unless otherwise specified. The invention relates to a nanogel comprising an aromatic based gelator and a volatile active agent. A method is provided for preparing a nanogel comprising an aromatic based gelator and a volatile active agent. The method includes the steps of solubilizing the gelator with the volatile active agent to obtain a mixture. The mixture is then heated to obtain a uniform solution. The heated solution is then cooled to obtain a pheromone containing nanogel.
In one embodiment of the invention, the gelator includes an aromatic compound capable of forming a gel. The aromatic compound is selected from a compound having the general formula tri-PPV, as shown below

wherein R includes but is not limited to H, carboxyl group and its derivatives, amide group and its derivatives, aryls, alkyls, aldehydes, aromatic compounds and its derivatives, esters, salts or a combination thereof. Gelation takes place through interplay of various non-covalent interactions among the gelators such as hydrogen bonding, van der Waals forces, p-stacking, dipole-dipole, electrostatic forces etc. Such interactions often lead to the formation of numerous interesting nanoscopic structures that include fibrils, rods, tubes, spheres, coils, sheets etc. Generation of these nanostructures in turn creates micro-domains with solvent pockets and hence these network structures could hold solvents. The compound is soluble in common aliphatic hydrocarbon solvents (n-Hexane, n-Heptane etc.), in aromatic hydrocarbons (such as benzene, toluene, xylenes, mesitylene etc.) and also in chlorinated solvents (such as dichloromethane, chloroform etc.) but insoluble in polar solvents such as ethyl acetate, ethanol, methanol etc. Throughout the examples and description of figures, tri-p-phenylenevinylene based gelator has been referred to as ‘gelator’.
The volatile active agent selected is a semiochemical. The semiochemicals includes but are not limited to pheromones, kairomones, para-pheromones, allomones, and synomones.
In one example of the invention, the aromatic compound selected is tri-PPV as depicted by the structure shown below.

The pheromones selected include but are not limited to methyl eugenol, linalool, Z-9-hexadecenal, Z-11-hexadecenal and combinations thereof.
The method described herein above shall be explained further as exemplary embodiments of the invention through examples. The examples provided herein are only to illustrate the invention and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention. Variations and/or modifications of the invention as illustrated through examples are possible as understood by a person skilled in the art and all such variations and/or modifications are included within the scope of the invention.

EXAMPLE 1: Methyl Eugenol nanogel:
About 2 mg to about 12 mg of tri-PPV is taken in a clean and sterilized container and about 1ml of methyl eugenol is added to the tri-PPV to obtain a mixture. The mixture is heated for about 2 minutes at temperature in the range of about 50 0C to about 75 0C to obtain a uniform solution. The uniform solution formed is characterized by visual inspection. Alternately, the solution can be characterized by spectrographic methods known to a person skilled in the art.
The uniform solution obtained is then cooled at a temperature in the range of about 20 ºC to about 30 ºC. The cooling is further achieved over a time period in the range of about 10 minutes to about 15minutes. Subsequent to subjecting the tri-PPV methyl eugenol mixture to the heating and cooling cycle as described herein, a nanogel is obtained. The nanogel obtained includes methyl eugenol entrapped in a matrix. FIG.1 shows various stages of a nanogel formation, according to an embodiment of the invention. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the heating and cooling cycle as described herein above carried out at 65 °C and at 25 °C, respectively.
The ME entrapped nanogel is then characterized to determine the physical and chemical characteristics.
The formed nanogel is water insoluble and does not undergo swelling and shrinking with changes in temperature or humidity. Further, the nanogel obtained is not hygroscopic in nature and is not moisture sensitive.
FIG.2a depicts TEM images of the nanogel showing the existence of the nanofibrillar network according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG.2b depicts SEM images of the nanogel showing the existence of the nanofibrillar network according to an embodiment of the invention.

Thermal and Mechanical Studies of the Nanogel:
FIG.3 shows graphs for rheological studies of the nanogels oscillatory frequency sweep, according to an embodiment of the invention. The gel-melting temperature at 63 ºC (about 12 mg/mL of the gelator) provides thermal stability the sample which is adequate for the agricultural field trials even in hot climates around different geographical regions of the world. Mechanical stability of the gels (about 12 mg/mL of the gelator) under a rheometer is as high as to provide adequate mechanical stability to prohibit the samples being relaxed (dropped) during its transportation or shipment. Also at this concentration, the release of ME from the nanogel is optimally slow for the long term applicability in the orchard.
The melting temperature of the nanogels, i.e. gel-to-sol transition (Tgel) increased progressively with increasing concentration of gelator (tri-p-phenylenevinyline), a phenomenon that is general for many Low molecular mass gelator, LMMGs. This indicates that, with increasing concentration of the gelator, the density of the gel assembly increases ensuring participation of a larger number of gelator molecules per unit volume in the thermally induced transitions. At the concentration of 12 mg/mL of tri-p-phenylenevinyline in ME, the Tgel reached ~63 °C which is well above the ambient temperature even during peak summer in India FIG.3a. Thus, the thermal stability of the nanogel is adequate for the agricultural field trials even in hot climates around different geographical regions of the world.
The oscillatory frequency response of the nanogel revealed that the elastic modulus G' is independent of frequency and much higher than the viscous modulus G? over the entire angular frequency range (0.1–100 rad/s) at 0.01% strain amplitude. A ~13-fold higher G' over G? suggested a substantial elastic response of the gels that did not relax over the long timescale. This is a typical characteristic of the nanogels. The viscoelastic solid-like nature of the gel increases with increasing concentration of gelator (tri-p-phenylenevinyline) and it becomes sufficiently strong (G' ~2800 Pa) at 12 mg/ml. Under oscillatory stress, the nanogels show G'> G? by an order of magnitude indicating the dominant elastic behavior (stiffness) of the system and show the mass to flow under applied stress. An applied stress above which the gel starts to flow is called the yield stress (sy) and its value (~20 Pa at 12 mg/ml) is sufficiently high to provide adequate mechanical stability to prohibit the samples being relaxed (dropped) during its transportation or shipment.
Slow Release of ME from Nanogels:
FIG.4 shows depicts plots of percent weight losses as a function of time-confirmed sustained ‘release’ pattern of the nanogelled pheromone (ME) studied at various temperatures, according to an embodiment of the invention. The release pattern of the volatile pheromone in terms of its relative rates of evaporation at a particular temperature is determined both for the liquid ME alone and ME immobilized in nanogel (12 mg/ml) under identical conditions. The extent of evaporation is investigated by monitoring the weight loss from both the samples kept at four different temperatures (10, 20, 30 and 50°C) in a temperature gradient chamber. Plots of %-weight losses vs. the number of weeks show that the rates of evaporation are always greater from the ME alone compared to the ME immobilized in nanogel. The calculated slopes from the linear fit of the data at various temperatures showed that the evaporation rate of ME increased significantly with increasing temperatures. ME in nanogel afforded only 2–3 % weight loss after 10 weeks at 30 °C although it showed 50 % weight loss at 50 °C indicating that the weight loss occurred 13 times slower at 30 °C compared to that at 50 °C. On the other hand, at 50 °C (a temperature at the peak summer in Indian subcontinents), ME alone evaporated entirely within 3 weeks and in contrast it took, 30 weeks for the near complete evaporation of ME from the nanogel. The extrapolated graphs for the nanogel in their weight loss profiles further indicate that, it would take, 7.8 years at 30 °C and 12.4 years at 20 °C for the complete evaporation of ME from the nanogel. Thus, the sustainable nature of the pheromone in the nanogel for a significant period of time makes the nanogel particularly useful for the agricultural pest management applications.
FIG.5 shows GC-MS traces obtained for a pheromone (a) before incorporation into the nanogel; (b) after incorporation into the nanogel; and (c) subsequent to exposure of the nanogel at a location for pest management, according to an embodiment of the invention. Samples are analyzed on a gas-chromatograph (GC 17A, Shimadzu) coupled with a mass-spectrometer (GC-MS QP 5050 Shimadzu) with an electron impact ionization at 70 eV. The GC is equipped with a WCOT fused silica stationary phase CP-Sil 5CB open tubular capillary column DB-5 ms (30 m 30.25 mm, I.D. 0.25 mM) using helium as carrier gas (flow rate 1.3 ml/min). The temperature is programmed from 60 oC (hold 5 min) to 250 oC at 10 oC /min. The samples are introduced at the injector temperature of 250 oC. Tentative identification of each compound is achieved based on the comparison of matching of the respective mass spectrum as recorded in the Wiley 139 computer databases. Identification of ME is ensured from a comparison with the mass spectra and the GC retention data with those of the known standards.
Thus, the nanogel is useful during the rainy season, a period when the pests such as B. dorsalis show maximum activity and yield losses are the greatest in the guava orchards. The pheromones entrapped in nanogel forms an immobile viscous mass, which allows transportation without any refrigeration. This is advantageous over reported methods using microcapsules which encounter the problem of capsule bursts or potential leaks.
To determine the effect of the pheromone entrapped nanogel in pest management the nanogel is heated upto about 70 ºC to make a clear ‘sol’. This is drop-cast carefully on the clean glass slides in an unperturbed condition for about 10-15 min, to form a film of the nanogel. For controlled experiments, gelator in toluene is drop-cast on separate glass slides following the same procedure while ME alone is also placed on the glass plates just by drop wise addition. These three plates are then exposed to a guava orchard twice, over three week duration. FIG.6 shows comparison of the number of dead flies due to the nanogel and the control (ME alone) during a field trial, according to an embodiment of the invention. The results demonstrate that after three weeks, the activity of the pheromone remains effective in case of the nanogel containing ME.
EXAMPLE 2: a linalool nanogel:
About 2 mg to about 12 mg of tri-PPV is taken in a clean and sterilized container and about 1ml of linalool is added to the tri-PPV to obtain a mixture. The mixture is heated for about 2 minutes at a temperature in the range of about 50 0C to about 75 0C to obtain a uniform solution. The uniform solution formed is characterized by visual inspection. Alternately, the solution can be characterized by spectrographic methods known to a person skilled in the art.
The uniform solution obtained is then cooled at a temperature in the range of about 20 ºC to about 30 ºC. The cooling is further achieved over a time period in the range of about 10 minutes to about 15 minutes. Subsequent to subjecting the tri-PPV linalool mixture to the heating and cooling cycle as described herein, a nanogel is obtained. The nanogel obtained includes linalool entrapped in a matrix.
FIG.6 shows plots of percent weight losses at various temperatures as a function of time-confirmed sustained ‘release’ pattern of the pheromone linalool incorporated into the nanogel, according to an embodiment of the invention.
EXAMPLE 3a: HAP (Z-11-hexadecenal : Z-9-hexadecenal :: 97:3) & 3b. SIP (Z-11-hexadecenal : Z-9-hexadecenal::3:1) nanogel:
About 2 mg to about 12 mg of tri-PPV is taken in a clean and sterilized container and about 1ml of HAP (Z-11-hexadecenal : Z-9-hexadecenal:: 97:3) is added to the tri-PPV to obtain a mixture. The mixture is heated for about 2 minutes at temperature in the range of about 50 0C to about 75 0C to obtain a uniform solution. The uniform solution formed is characterized by visual inspection. Alternately, the solution can be characterized by spectrographic methods known to a person skilled in the art.
The uniform solution obtained is then cooled at a temperature in the range of about 20 ºC to about 30 ºC. The cooling is further achieved over a time period in the range of about 10 minutes to about 15minutes. Subsequent to subjecting the tri-PPV Z-9-hexadecenal mixture to the heating and cooling cycle as described herein, a nanogel is obtained. The nanogel obtained includes Z-9-hexadecenal entrapped in a matrix.
FIG.7a and 7b shows plots of percent weight losses at various temperatures as a function of time-confirmed sustained ‘release’ pattern of the pheromone Z-9-hexadecenal, Z-11-hexadecenal incorporated into the nanogel, according to an embodiment of the invention

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY:
The pheromone entrapped nanogel as obtained by the method described herein above and as characterized is incorporated into a device for determining the efficacy of the pheromone entrapped nanogel in pest management. The device includes but is not limited to the pheromone entrapped nanogel, an arrangement to mount the device and a collection apparatus. The pheromone entrapped nanogel can be loaded onto a retaining means. In an embodiment of the invention, the retaining means is a container. The container is selected from a group comprising but not limiting to, vial, tube, bottle, flask, cylinder, tumbler, beaker, bowl, bag, can, canister, carton, jar, jug, kettle, packet and capsule. Alternatively the pheromone entrapped nanogel can be layered as a thin film on a suitable material. The material is selected from a group that includes glass, plastic, fiberglass and the like. The collection apparatus is at least one selected from the group including but not limiting to bottle, flask, cylinder, tumbler, beaker, bowl, bag, can, canister, carton, jar, jug, kettle, packet or a combination thereof. The collection apparatus is mounted vertically below the container having the pheromone entrapped nanogel. The collection apparatus is configured to entrap the pests attracted towards the pheromone entrapped nanogel
In one embodiment of the invention a plastic bottle of ~25 cm long and ~7 cm diameter with a closed screw-cap is taken and kept hanging from the branch of a tree with the help of a hook in an upside down orientation. Two circular holes (diameter of ~4.5 cm) have been made on the bottle in such a way that they face up and down opposite to each other. Two holes are useful for the facile passage of fruit flies that are attracted to the pheromone (ME). Water is introduced into the bottle through the lower hole and maintained at nearly the same level. The pheromone nanogel sample (gelator + ME, 12 mg/ mL) is kept in a hanging vial of about 5 mm inner diameter and having a length of 20 mm enabling the opening to face downwards just a few cm above the water level. With this arrangement, even when it rains, the excess of water gets automatically drained away from the lower hole allowing it to maintain the water level. As the opening of the nanogel vial is oriented downwards, rain water cannot enter into it. Control experiments are performed by adding ME directly into the water, the water level in this case is maintained few inches below the bottom hole. At the end of each day, the contents from the plastic bottle are released by opening the screw-cap. This allows collection of dead flies after the day-long exposure in the orchard. The same bottle is reused following the above
FIG.8 shows comparison of the number of dead flies due to the nanogel and the control (ME alone) during a field trial, according to an embodiment of the invention. The number of trap catches for the control containing only ME is significantly lower in comparison to the nanogel throughout the experiment. The ME alone is active only for one week while the nanogel (gelator + ME) is effective throughout the month, till the harvesting of guava although the nanogels are still active in releasing pheromone as revealed from the weight loss experiments which are conducted upto ten weeks. However, this show a progressive decrease in comparison to the bottle containing nanogel and from the 8th day onward, no fly got attracted to this bottle. This indicates that the effectiveness of ME alone towards the B. dorsalis without the gelator is at best limited to one week in the real field environment. On the contrary, significant counts of B. dorsalis catches are continually recorded almost throughout the month with peak trap catches occurring during the first three weeks as compared to the control. After harvesting all the guavas, the infestation of B. dorsalis is found to be remarkably lower as shown in the results after three weeks of experiment since the number of catches got reduced. The maximum number of fruit flies catches is recorded on the first three days. As the days progressed and guava fruits are harvested, fruit flies infestation in field became gradually less significant and thus the lowest number of trap catches took place from the day 23 to day 30.
The invention provides pheromones entrapped in gelator which forms nanogels. The formed nanogel is an immobile viscoelastic semi-solid mass which is easily handled and transported without refrigeration. Further, due to its slow-release properties, it allows a reduction in the frequency of pheromone recharging in the orchard. Such nanogelled pheromones exhibit high residual activity and excellent efficacy in the open orchard, even during rainy seasons. These nanogels have a fibrillar network structure, are environment friendly, non-toxic and act only as an attractant.
A convenient and solvent-free method is employed for the preparation of pheromone entrapped nano-gel without having chemical cross linking. Subsequent to the complete release of the pheromone from the nanogel, the nanogel can be reused to make fresh nanogels over and over again. The pheromone entrapped nanogels can be used in any season and at any temperature due to their oxidative, photochemical and thermal stability.
The formulations of nano-gel developed for semiochemicals such as pheromones and kairomones dramatically increase the field-life of various nanogelled semiochemicals that disrupt the lifecycle of harmful crop pests, such as, but not limiting to Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel); Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner) (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae); Scirphophaga incertulas (Walker) (Lepidoptera, Pyralidae).
The pheromone entrapped nanogel as provided herein can be targeted to various agricultural products which include but are not limited to cotton, pigeon pea, chick pea, tomato, coffee, guava, mango, rice and brinjal. With the deployment of nanogel carrier systems, there is less need to use pest resistant genetically modified crops as well. Also, transportation of the pheromone entrapped nanogel is trouble-free due to the significant mechanical strength of the nanogels.
The foregoing description of the invention has been set for merely to illustrate the invention and is not intended to be limiting. Since modifications of the disclosed embodiments incorporating the spirit and substance of the invention may occur to person skilled in the art, the invention should be construed to include everything within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereof.