Nanoparticle-Based Pesticide Formulations
There is no doubt that offsite movement of pesticides that are applied to crops is a major problem for agricultural producers. Thus, any new product or technology that has the potential to reduce this off-target deposition of agricultural pesticides applied to crops is worthy of attention.
In a Univ. of Arkansas News release, such a potential technology was described in an article titled “Cellulosic Nanomaterial May Help Solve Problem of Herbicide Drift”. In this article, the development of a unique formulation of biodegradable nanomaterials derived from cellulosic waste–e.g sawdust, rice hulls–by scientists Joseph Batta-Mpouma and Gurshagan Kandhola is described. Their formulation is designed to be added as an adjuvant to herbicide spray mixtures to reduce drift. The material was named BioGrip, and is now trademarked.
The cellulosic crystal nanoparticles are designed to bind to herbicides to add weight to the spray droplets, causing them to fall faster toward the intended target during their application in the field. The product is also touted to prevent volatilization, which is an added problem when auxin herbicides are applied to soybeans for control of problematic weeds.
[A nanoparticle or ultrafine particle is defined as a particle that is between 1 and 100 nanometers (nm = 1 billionth of a meter) in diameter, or at least one dimension is less than 100 nm. Particles of this size cannot be seen with ordinary optical microscopes; thus, their detection requires the use of an electron microscope. They usually do not sediment or “settle out” like colloidal particles, and easily pass through common filters and have a very high surface area to volume ratio.]
A review article titled “Nano-based smart pesticide formulations: Emerging opportunities for agriculture” is authored by Kumar et al. and appears in the Journal of Controlled Release [294: 131-153 (2019)–https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jconrel.2018.12.012]. This article touts the advantages that can be derived from nanoencapsulation of pesticides that are commonly applied in agricultural settings, and critically assesses the significant role of this approach to achieve “smart” delivery of these pesticides to the intended target in order to overcome present losses to the surrounding environment.
The application of nanotechnology approaches in agricultural pesticide use offers great potential for 1) increasing/enhancing delivery efficiency to the intended target, and 2) increasing applied pesticide retention on targeted plant surfaces. Nanocarriers for pesticides should possess properties that will resist drift loss, as is touted in the material described in the Univ. of Arkansas article cited above. The goal of any of the potential nanoformulations of pesticides or pesticide additives should be to develop a product 1) that is biodegradable, 2) that will reduce the risk of pesticide dispersion in the surrounding environment, and 3) that will be economically and efficaciously competitive with existing conventional chemical pesticides.
The efficient and sustainable use of agricultural pesticides requires optimizing their delivery to the intended target with concurrent reduced negative effects on non-target plants and the surrounding environment. The product BioGrip cited in the above news release will be tested in upcoming research to determine its efficacy in herbicide applications, and its effect on herbicide drift and volatilization. If results from these tests are positive, the benefits to agriculture will be hugely significant.
Composed by Larry G. Heatherly, June 2021, larryh91746@gmail.com