Novel Agrochemical Leads Derived from Molecular Fields

An estimated one-third of worldwide crop production is lost to pathogens including fungi. Despite advances in chemical control, the onset of resistance limits the utility of current fungicides. In addition, most pesticide research projects are terminated because of unattractive attributes of the lead chemical series, such as toxicity, manufacturing cost, or a crowded intellectual property landscape, which cannot be engineered out of the molecule. It is therefore desirable to identify alternate chemical scaffolds that retain the desired fungicidal spectrum and MOA while improving other characteristics. The proposed work is expected to result in a safe and efficacious fungicidal lead with a novel MOA that will be highly beneficial to growers, consumers, and the environment and economically attractive to commercial partners. Use of such a fungicide as part of an Integrated Pest Management program could replace older compounds with unfavorable environmental toxicity and prevent resistance development among newer fungicide classes.