Idea, Development and Establishment in the Market of Plant Extracts for the Use in Plant Protection

Abstract

Using the insecticidal compounds Azadirachtin and Quassin and plant extracts for control of fungal diseases as examples, the problems and potential of the development of biological plant protection products based on plant extracts are described. Over thousands of years plants had the time and were able to develop mechanisms which protect them against pests and diseases. This natural potential can be used for a safe and environmentally friendly plant protection. Many recent publications are dealing with the topic of biological plant protection. Whether a new product idea will come into practice is also a political question, as well as one concerning registration requirements; until today there is hardly a legal difference between the registration requirements for synthetic and biological plant protection products. However, society appreciates biological plant protection, as is documented by the increasing turnover of biological products.