The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded a $727,328 Project Grant to the Louisiana State University (LSU) Agricultural Center to develop tunable, biodegradable, bio-derived controlled release formulations designed to specifically deliver copper sulfate as a contact or systemic agrochemical for plant disease management. The goal is to improve the ability of copper to increase the natural defense mechanisms of plants by enabling systemic delivery, which will be a powerful strategy to fight fungal and bacterial diseases more efficiently by using several modes of action and timing facilitated by the nanodelivery system. The LSU Agricultural Center, part of the Louisiana State University System, will synthesize a lignin-based polymer and assemble it into lignin nanoparticles (LNPs) of controlled properties. These LNPs will be tested for their ability to deliver copper sulfate to the roots and leaves as a contact or systemic agrochemical. The most efficient delivery systems will be further evaluated for their impact on plant and insect health, as well as environmental fate and impact. This work is funded through the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (CFDA 10.310) which aims to address fundamental and applied research, extension, and education in food and agricultural sciences.
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