Assessing the transport potential of polymeric nanocapsules developed for crop protection

Abstract

Nanotechnology is increasingly important in the agricultural sector, with novel products being developed to heighten crop yields and increase pesticide efficacy. Herein, the transport potential of different polymeric nanocapsules (nCAPs) developed as pesticide delivery vehicles was assessed in model soil systems. The nCAPs examined are (i) poly(acrylic acid)-based (nCAP1), (ii) poly(methacrylic acid)-ran-poly(ethyl acrylate) copolymer-based (nCAP2), (iii) poly(methacrylic acid-ran-styrene) copolymer-based (nCAP3), and (iv) poly(methacrylic acid-ran-butylmethacrylate)-based (nCAP4). nCAP mobility was examined in columns packed with agricultural loamy sand saturated with artificial porewater containing Ca and Mg cations (10 mM ionic strength, pH 6 and 8). Furthermore, the impact of (i) cation species, (ii) sand type, and (iii) ammonium polyphosphate fertilizer on the transport potential of a nanoformulation combining nCAP4 capsules and the pyrethroid bifenthrin (nCAP4-BIF) was examined and compared to a commercial bifenthrin formulation (Capture LFR). Although nCAP4-BIF and Capture LFR formulations were highly mobile in quartz sand saturated with 10 mM NaNO (≥95% elution), they were virtually immobile in the presence of 10% ammonium polyphosphate fertilizer. The presence of Ca and Mg did not hinder nCAP4-BIF elution in quartz sand saturated with 10 mM standard CIPAC D synthetic porewater; however, limited Capture LFR transport (<10% elution) was observed under the same conditions. Capture LFR also exhibited limited mobility in the presence or absence of fertilizer in loamy sand saturated with divalent salt solutions, whereas nCAP4-BIF exhibited increased elution with time and enhanced transport upon the addition of fertilizer. Overall, nCAP4 is a promising delivery vehicle in pyrethroid nanoformulations such as nCAP4-BIF.

Environmental fate of nanopesticides: durability, sorption and photodegradation of nanoformulated clothianidin

“…17 )). Most nano-enabled agrochemicals exceed the size threshold of 100 nm whereas commercial formulations can unintentionally contain entities <100 nm, 4 , 18 , 19 which illustrates the difficulties associated with defining nanopesticides solely based on a size criterion.…”

Applications of Nanotechnology in Plant Growth and Crop Protection: A Review

“…In contrast, nanoformulations assist to overcome the above-mentioned limitations [1]. For instance, Petosa et al [138] demonstrated that nanoformulations of pesticides boost crop yields by increasing pesticide efficacy through regulating transport potential of pesticide. They found that nanoformulations combining polymeric nanocapsules and the pyrethroid bifenthrin (nCAP4-BIF) display increased elution with time and enhanced transport potential even upon the addition of fertilizer in loamy sand soil saturated with artificial porewater containing Ca 2+ and Mg 2+ cations.…”

Estimate of the Antifungal Activity and Phytotoxicity of ZnO Nanoparticles on Magnaporthe oryzae and Rice Cultivar Sakha 101 using Morphological, Biochemical and Molecular Markers

“…Nanoparticles of different metal oxides can play important role to promote the growth and yield of plants as well as suppression of plant pathogens as a novel strategy (Petosa et al, 2017). The performance of Zn NPs was promised across the current study, it was observed that Zn NPs are more frequently associated with increases in growth and yield of rice when grown in pathogen-infection depending on concentration and time of applications.…”