Nano-sized Delivery for Agricultural Chemicals

In today's ever-increasing competition and regulatory restriction environment, it is critical for Ag-Chemical companies to have a sustained effort to explore and leverage novel and innovative technologies for more effective and efficient formulation and delivery systems. In recent years, nano-technology has been a particularly active area, and has shown the potential in enhancing bio-efficacy, bio-availability, and better penetration or uptake, especially for poorly soluble active ingredients. Our cellular uptake study demonstrated the penetration, uptake, and mobility of NPs in model cell systems. The subsequent hydroponic delivery study proved that NPs can transport through root and move upward through xylem. Several types of pesticide active ingredients were incorporated into nano-capsules. When compared to conventional micron-sized formulations, the nano-capsule formulations demonstrated significantly higher levels of activity. These studies indicate the potential for improving the effectiveness of agricultural active ingredients using nano-sized particles, including functionalized nano-capsules.