**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** PLANT PARASITIC NEMATODES ARE A MAJOR GLOBAL THREAT TO MOST ECONOMICALLY IMPORTANT CROPS IN PRODUCTION AGRICULTURE CAUSING ANNUALLY MORE THAN $170 BILLION YIELD LOSSES. THE PROPOSED RESEARCH IS IN RESPONSE TO THE URGENT UNMET NEED TO DEVELOP NEW SUSTAINABLE NEMATODE CONTROL STRATEGIES TO SECURE YIELD AND PROFITABLE PRODUCTION.THIS PROJECT WILL PROVIDE PROOF-OF-CONCEPT FOR A NEW TECHNOLOGY PLATFORM BASED ON ENGINEERED MULTI-COMPONENT COLLOIDAL PARTICLES MADE FROM BIOPOLYMERS AS VEHICLES FOR EFFICIENT DELIVERY OF AGRICULTURAL PAYLOADS. THE PARTICLES WILL DELIVER THE ACTIVE PAYLOAD TO THE PLANT IN THE FORM OF DISPERSIONS INCLUDING LIQUID OILS ABSORBED ON THE SUSPENDED PARTICLES, OR EMULSIFIED DROPLETS STABILIZED BY THE PARTICLES. METHODS FROM MULTIPLE DISCIPLINES SUCH AS BIOMATERIALS, FORMULATION SCIENCES, PLANT PATHOLOGY, NEMATOLOGY, AND TOXICOLOGY WILL BE USED TO PROVIDE COMPREHENSIVE CHARACTERIZATION OF THE NEW MATERIALS AND TEST THEIR NEMATICIDAL PROPERTIES IN THE GREENHOUSE. RESEARCH FINDINGS FROM THIS STUDY ARE EXPECTED TO LEAD TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW EFFECTIVE BIONEMATICIDE FOR IMPROVED MANAGEMENT OF M. ENTEROLOBII AND OTHER NEMATODE PESTS.BESIDES ENABLING FUTURE ECONOMIC BENEFITS, THIS RESEARCH HAS A POTENTIAL FOR MAKING IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTIONS TO SOIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH. MOREOVER, UTILIZING PRODUCTS MADE FROM NATURAL FEEDSTOCKS WILL REDUCE THE USE OF PETROLEUM-BASED MATERIALS AND GOODS NOT ONLY IN AGRICULTURE BUT IN OTHER INDUSTRIES HENCE CONTRIBUTING TO THE ADVANCEMENT AND GROWTH OF THE BIO-BASED ECONOMY.