Synthesis and Chemistry of Agrochemicals V

Abstract

The last few years have been witness to dramatic changes in the agrochemical synthesis field. Since many of the approaches of the agrochemical sector to finding new active agents are similar to those in the pharmaceutical field, the newer technologies developed for pharmaceutical research have been embraced by agrochemical research. Among these are combinatorial chemistry and robotics synthesis as well as aggressive acquisition of large compound libraries from academic and commercial sources. This delivers greater inputs into the screening process. Robotics are also increasingly being employed for the screening process itself. The prime goal is to satisfy the ever increasing need for new leads compounds. The better new leads thus generated are then optimized by more conventional means or else by means of automated synthesis of more directed compound libraries. Consequently, the potential for agrochemical scientists to continue to provide safer, lower use-rate, more environmentally benign crop protection agents remains high. Concurrently during the past decade, great strides have been made in the adaptation and integration of biotechnology to agricultural production. Much of the work in this area has focused in developing new biological methods of pest control, crops with engineered resistance to pests and herbicides, and products with higher nutritional content. Overall this new technology promises to reduce the environmental load of chemical pesticides. While the development of molecular biology and its subsequent application to agriculture has been no less than spectacular, it has raised many questions concerning the landscape of pest control methodology in the future of global agriculture, particularly with regard to the place of traditional synthesis chemistry.