Double bioherbicide nanosystem as a sustainable strategy for weed control

• Grant number: 23/16519-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Effective date (Start): July 01, 2024
• Effective date (End): June 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biochemistry - Chemistry of Macromolecules
• Principal Investigator: Leonardo Fernandes Fraceto
• Grantee: Vanessa Takeshita
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciência e Tecnologia. Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Sorocaba. Sorocaba , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 21/10639-5 - Center for Research on Biodiversity Dynamics and Climate Change, AP.CEPID

Abstract

Increasing reports of resistant weeds, the large-scale use of conventional herbicides, and the demand for more sustainable agriculture make up part of the current global agricultural scenario. Nanotechnology has provided safer synthetic herbicides with increased efficiency (lower doses applied); however, even more challenging measures to reduce the use of pesticides without loss of efficiency need to be adopted. Molecules of natural origin, such as bioherbicides, are little explored in this sense, mainly due to their low viability in the field, rapid degradation, and the need for carriers that act efficiently on plants despite having a known herbicidal effect. Pelargonic acid, for example, has multiple mechanisms of action, such as its effect on cell division and the photosystem. Nanoformulations can favor these compounds, mainly due to the possibility of combining bioherbicides and biodegradable nanomaterials. The objective of this project will be the development of a double bioherbicide nanosystem as an intelligent carrier of pelargonic acid in combination with a second bioherbicide molecule for the control of weeds. Furthermore, the nanoformulation will feature the combination of lignin and zein as biodegradable polymers, forming lignin lipid nanoparticles as the core in the formulation and zein nanoparticles as the shell. Selectivity studies (to weeds and crops) of the interaction between bioherbicides will be carried out as an initial phase. After this phase, the most promising combination of bioherbicides will be chosen, and a dual nanoformulation will be developed and characterized. After preparation, the nanoformulations will be tested again to validate the effects on PD control. At the cellular level, in vitro testing will be carried out in artificial cellular compartments to evaluate the performance of the nanoformulation in delivering bioherbicides to plants, applying radiometric techniques to track the nanoparticles. An absorption and translocation study with radioactive tracers will help to understand the behavior of the double nanoformulation in plants at the organismal level. If successful, the dual nanosystem will be the first reported in the literature for bioherbicides, serving as a model platform for new products, mainly based on bioherbicides. The project will also assist in discussions on agricultural sustainability in weed control and the mechanisms involved in agrochemicals' delivery to plants by nanocarriers.