Recipient Organization
BENANOVA INC
116 RUSHINGWATER DR
CARY,NC 27513
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
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.
Animal Health Component
100%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
0%
Applied
100%
Developmental
0%
Goals / Objectives
The overarching goal of the Phase I research is to develop novel bio-based bionematicide compositions to control the pant parasitic root knot nematode Meloidogyne enterolobii (M. enterolobii). In addition to the efficacy goals, important aspects of this project are the non-target activity and possible toxicity effects of the new experimental bionematicide compositions. The project effort will focus on the following technical objectives:Technical Objective 1: Prepare novel formulations intended for control of M. enterolobii and characterize their physical chemical properties and formulation stability.Technical Objective 2: Assess the effect of the new bioformulations on the plant parasitic root knot nematode M. enterolobii on a susceptible tomato host in the greenhouse.Technical Objective 3: Conduct in vitro tests to evaluate possible non-target effects on other soil organisms and characterize potential mammalian acute toxicity properties.
Project Methods
This USDA SBIR Phase I project utilizes scientific methods from a wide range of distinct disciplines. A multi-disciplinary approach is essential to ensure integrating various complex aspects of the proposed technological innovation. Methods from material science, formulation engineering, plant pathology, nematology, molecular biology, and toxicology are employed.As part of Technical Objective 1, water-based particle formulations containing lignin, chitosan, and carvacrol will be fabricated using the method of solvent-anti-solvent precipitation. In these formulations lignin is an inert vehicle used to enhance and facilitate the delivery of the active, chitosan serves as a surface modifier and stabilizer, and carvacrol is the active ingredient. The formulations will be characterized with respect to particle morphology, hydrodynamic radius, polydispersity index, zeta potential, and physical stability. The measure of success for the efforts in Technical Objective 1 is achieving a stable, one-phase formulation comprising lignin, chitosan, and carvacrol with particle size in the range of 100 nm - 200 nm.Technical Objective 2 encompasses a greenhouse study to control the root knot nematode M. enterolobii on a susceptible tomato host. Each treatment will be applied at two concentrations of the active ingredient - 2000 ppm and 4000 ppm. The chemical nematicide Velum and the organically certified bionematicide Majestene will be used as positive controls. Untreated and inoculated plants will serve as the negative control.The following types of data that will be collected from the greenhouse study: plant heights, root and shoot biomass (fresh and dry). At the end of the trial roots will be evaluated for galling. Nematode eggs, extracted from the roots of the plants will be extracted and counted. Nematodes from the soil surrounding the roots will be extracted and counted. Data will be analyzed for statistical significance using SAS studios (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC).The greenhouse test will be repeated to ensure that the activity of each formulation is reproducible. Formulations that reproducibly display activity statistically higher than the untreated control and comparable to the activity of the synthetic and/or biological controls will be advanced to commercial development.The focus of the research in Technical Objective 3 is the evaluation of the lead compounds for possible non-target effects on other soil organisms. In addition to the plant parasite M. enterolobii, two free-living nematodes C. elegance and P. pacificus will be subjected to a range of concentrations of the lead experimental bionematicides. C. elegance and P. pacificus are widely used model systems with well-established laboratory protocols for culturing and conducting similar toxicity assessments. All bioassays will be repeated three times for each nematode species and analyzed using the R statistical software.As a result of this study, we will estimate the concentration of a bionematicide that decreases the average distance moved per worm by 50% (EC50). The EC50 values for each bioformulation will be compared between the nematode species to determine the species specificity of each compound as well as its potential for off-target effects on the free-living nematode species.Technical Objective 3 also comprises a toxicity study to determine potential harmful health risks associated with exposure to the new bio-based compositions. For this study we will use a standardized protocol - EPA test 870.1100. Based on preliminary studies for the parent base composition we expect favorable acute oral tox safety profile.