Evaluation of copper use reduction by chitosan gel nanoencapsulation for application against citrus canker

• Grant number: 25/10816-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: September 01, 2025
• End date: August 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Plant Health
• Principal Investigator: Michel Brienzo
• Grantee: Lucas La Scala
• Host Institution: Instituto de Pesquisa em Bioenergia (IPBEN). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Rio Claro. Rio Claro , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 21/10839-4 - Sustainable citriculture through controlled release of antibacterial compounds from microgel-based formulations, AP.TEM

Abstract

Brazilian citriculture is recognized as the largest in the world, known for the high quality of its products as well as the sale of fruits and juices such as orange, lemon, and tangerine. In 2019, a planted area of 2.9 million hectares was reported, with a gross production value of R$ 14.8 billion (CNA, 2019). This highlights the importance of this sector to the Brazilian economy, generating jobs in rural areas. However, the sector is heavily affected by agricultural pests and diseases, the most common being citrus canker, caused by X. citri, a disease that creates lesions on leaves, fruits, and branches, impacting production due to premature fruit drop.To mitigate this impact, copper is used as a bactericidal and bacteriostatic agent against X. citri, and is sprayed on the crops. Due to its antimicrobial activity, copper is widely used, but its application can cause direct problems in the soil and indirect issues for the environment, due to its accumulative and toxic potential. As a solution, several studies and research efforts focus on the application of biogels as carriers, aiming for controlled release of the active compound.In this context, the present project proposes the synthesis of copper nanoparticles and their nanoencapsulation in a chitosan matrix, aiming at the controlled release of the metal for citrus canker control. In this way, it is expected to reduce the amount of copper used in the field. The project is part of a FAPESP Thematic Project ( 2021/10839-4), and the potential reduction in copper use will be a comparative parameter with the application of essential oils via carriers.