Glyphosate carrier nanosystems: from development to application in weed management

Abstract

The increase in population and the fragility of food supply in the world population indicate the need for increased agricultural production. Weed infestation reduces crop yields and has glyphosate as the most widely used herbicide worldwide for managing this weed community. A diversity of weed species show different levels of susceptibility to glyphosate and has not been effectively controlled by the herbicide. When applied to the environment, pesticides are responsible for environmental impacts. Thus, reducing the amount of active ingredient that reaches the environmental compartments is an alternative to reduce the impact of these products on the environment. New technologies are necessary on the agro-ecosystem to increase productivity effectively and sustainability way. Nanotechnology is capable of increasing the efficacy and reducing the amount of herbicide applied to the environment through the use of nanocarrier systems. The goal of this project is to develop glyphosate carrier nanosystems that increase the efficacy of the herbicide on weeds with differential susceptibility to the herbicide. Glyphosate carrier nanosystems will be developed and characterized. These nanosystems will be applied to weeds to determine the efficacy and dose for efficient control. These nanosystems will also be applied to RR crops to verify phytotoxicity. The characterization of the uptake/translocation route of the nanosystems in crops and weeds will be performed using radiometric techniques. The expected results consist of nanosystems that deliver glyphosate to the target efficiently and protect this activity from degradation by environmental factors. These nanocarriers are also expected to be effective against weeds and safe for crops, in a way that maintains the sustainability of production systems that use glyphosate.