Progress 07/01/21 to 02/28/22
Outputs
Target Audience:Target audiences include commercial agricultural input providers (both input developers and distributors), extension research specialists, and formulation scientists. The environmentally-friendly, yet still highly efficacious crop protection products as a result of this research will benefit socially, economically, and educationally disadvantaged farmers due to the reliability, sustainability, and affordability of the AgriCell platform. Changes/Problems:AgroSpheres has successfully achieved its first two goals of the proposed research project. The first goal that was met was the high loading capacity of prothioconazole that was achieved by optimizing the AgriCell formulation. Furthermore, we showed controlled release capabilities that were developed to achieve the second goal of the project. Although technical objective I of the proposal was designed to study the enhanced control of P. pachyrhizi (soybean rust) and P. nodorum (blotch of wheat) with the AgriCell-prothioconazole in dose response studies, the studies were performed with F. graminearum and F. oxysporum instead. This is due to the fact that the F. graminearum and F. oxysporum are more readily available for dose-response and plate assay studies due to their growth properties. Additionally, they also present a large market opportunity that made the research relevant to the purpose of the proposed project. Preliminary greenhouse work has been executed in alignment with the third goal of the project demonstrating the technical advantages of the AgriCell technology as a foliar application in the greenhouse setting. However, as AgroSpheres was progressing their development of the AgriCell-prothioconazole product, we were also developing an AgriCell-encapsulated, biorational fungicide using our internal R&D funding. This AgriCell-biofungicide utilizes tolerance exempt plant essential oils and inert ingredients which would allow AgroSpheres to access to organic as well as traditional crop markets. There are a couple technical reasons why we began utilizing the AgriCell for encapsulating biological. Firstly, biologicals are known to be more unstable in the field and as a result, benefit more significantly from encapsulation and stabilization. While our results from this project demonstrate that the AgriCell is a biodegradable formulation ingredient that can replace ECs and plastic microplastics without sacrificing efficacy, prothioconazole and other conventional fungicides are already relatively stable in the field. Therefore, we wanted to demonstrate the encapsulation capability of the AgriCell with a less stable AI (Thyme oil) that could significantly benefit from stabilization and controlled release. Additionally, many conventional fungicides suffer from the development of pesticide resistance. Over-reliance on these conventional fungicides is very problematic and demands the use of efficacious fungicides with new modes of action. By encapsulating thyme oil instead of prothioconazole, the AgriCell-biofungicide can help farmers effectively control disease and help manage the develop of fungicide resistance by introducing a biofungicide with a new mode of action. Additionally, there are commercial implications for utilizing the AgriCell for the encapsulation of a biologicals. Based on feedback we have received from agrichemical companies, distributors, and growers, there is significant interest in biological, more ecologically-compatible alternatives to conventional fungicides. Furthermore, consumer surveys have demonstrated growing demand for organic produce and produce derived from more sustainable agricultural practices. Altogether, the technical and commercial implications of a biofungicide motivated us to test the AgriCell-biofungicide within the scope of the proposal. We next aim to demonstrate that the AgriCell can reduce the applications of conventional fungicides by enhancing the stability and delivery of biological fungicides. We decided to test our AgriCell-biofungicide as a replacement to conventional fungicides in certain specialty crop markets. For these specialty crops, we decided to test on wine grapes and ornamentals since these are high-value crops that pose a feasible domestic market entry point for our product. Additionally, we wanted to begin looking at the application of the AgriCell-biofungicide as a rotational partner or tank mixture to be used in conjunction with conventional fungicides to control diseases in row crop markets. To do this we focused on wheat and soybean, since these are crops that were within the scope of our phase I proposal and pose large market opportunities. Positive results in soybean and wheat would allow us to reduce the application rate or frequency of conventional fungicides using the AgriCell, which is aligned with our Phase I objectives. AgroSpheres has demonstrated that their AgriCell-biofungicide can improve the application of biological fungicides while reducing the overall amount of conventional fungicides that need to be applied. Thus far, we have generated compelling results across a wide range of plant disease models in the specialty and row crop markets. With our phase II application, we aim to expand on these results, validate the efficacy of the AgriCell-biofungicide, and scale our formulation for larger scale field trials. We will test the AgriCell-biofungicide as a stand-alone treatment for protecting ornamentals and wine grape from fungal disease. Furthermore, we will demonstrate that the AgriCell-biofungicide is an effective tank mixture or rotational partner to reduce the application frequency and rate of conventional fungicides for traditional row crop markets. In order to do this, we will conduct more greenhouse studies and eventually, large scale field trials for soybean and wheat disease models. In phase 2 of this project, it will also be important to scale the manufacturing and formulation process for their AgriCell technology. We are currently working with a few CROs to scale up this process with plans to execute large scale field trials in 2022-2023 that further demonstrate the advantages of the AgriCell encapsulation technology. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Through our collaboration with UGA we received training and updates in proper application of fungicides in green-house and field trials. During the execution of the grant we established expertise in product formulation for plant delivery with IALR (Institute for Advance Learning and Research) for our formulation scientists. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The university extension centers tthat we collaborated with published efficacy results from our field trials and green-house studies. These reports from extension centers are generally reviewed by stakeholders, including growers, distributors, and agrochemical companies. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
We have successfully optimized the process for encapsulation of prothiconazole into AgriCell platform, providing >20% mass to mass active content, we performed a full characterization of the optimized formulation in terms of encapsulation efficiency and release profiles, being able to tune-up AgriCell-Prothioconazole release profile between 22-72% total release over 21 days. Finally, we have completed two efficacy testing trials for the AgriCell formulations against conventional product Proline in an in vitro fungal plant pathogen model and a greenhouse residual activity trial on soybean leaflets. Results suggest AgriCell-prothioconazole formulations in both dry and wet forms applied at 1 ppm showed better inhibitions than Proline for controlling growth of model fungal pathogens on petri plates. Additionally, greenhouse experiments demonstrated that AgriCell- prothiconazole formulations showed significant residual activity of prothioconazole on soybean leaflets after 7 days incubation in Petri dishes. Overall, AgriCell-Prothioconazole formulation showed improve active ingredient delivery (+60%) and higher retention of the active ingredient (+140%) upon stressing environmental conditions, such as rain events, when compared with commercial standard Proline (active ingredient prothioconazole). Furthermore, we have translated our encapsulation process to develop the AgriCell-Biofungicide, which has >70% mass loading of thyme oil and controlled release properties similar to the prothioconazole formulation. The efficacy of the AgriCell-biofungicide prototypes was studied in greenhouse and field trials across a range of plant disease models to fully demonstrate the AgriCell's ability to improve the application of agrichemicals. The results of the AgriCell-biofungicide testing demonstrates that the AgriCell enhances efficacy of thyme oil so that it can replace conventional fungicides in certain applications or be used as a rotational partner/tank mix in other applications. The results of the work have demonstrated that the AgriCell encapsulation technology can significantly improve the application of agrichemicals. By working with less stable agrichemicals, specifically biological, plant essential oils, we have been able to demonstrate the versatility and encapsulation advantages that the AgriCell technology can offer. We have shown controlled release properties that the AgriCell-biofungicide provides for thyme oil, demonstrating how the AgriCell formulation of thyme oil enhances the application of thyme oil and offers effective control across a wide range of plant-disease models as a stand-alone treatment. We hage also demonstrated the potential for the AgriCell-biofungicide to be applied effectively as a rotational partner that can outcompete the current conventional gold standards in strawberry field trials that experience high disease pressure. We have also assessed the efficacy of the AgriCell-biofungicide in row crops, suggesting that it can be used as tank mixture or rotational partner to reduce the application frequency of conventional fungicides in the traditional agriculture space. Altogether, the results from our Phase I work show that the AgriCell encapsulation technology can improve the application of agrichemicals, particularly those that necessitate enhanced stability in order to be effective in the field. Due to regulations and environmentally conscious consumer demand, it is likely that the production and sale of biologically derived or biocompatible microencapsulation technologies, like the AgriCell, will account for most of the growth of the microencapsulation market in the coming decade. This presents an opportunity for the AgriCell to be used as an encapsulation and formulation technology to improve the delivery of prothioconazole and other conventional fungicides/pesticides. Additionally, the work demonstrates the commercial opportunity for the AgriCell formulation technology to enhance the delivery of tolerance, exempt, biorational AIs and replace the use of conventional pesticides/fungicides in certain cases. With the current market trends in mind, the AgriCell-biofungicide provides further commercial opportunity to meet the increasing demand for more sustainable, biological crop protection alternatives that growers can rely on.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
S. Madrigal-Carballo et al. (2022). "The AgriCell: A Novel Bio-Based Microencapsulation Technology to Improve Crop Protection". Invited oral presentation on AGRO Division Symposium on "New Companies in Crop Yield", ACS 2022 Fall Meeting, Chicago, IL
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