PFI-TT: Naturally Derived Safe Adjuvant-Active Pesticide Formulations to Protect Crops from Fungal Diseases

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The broader impact/commercial potential of this Partnerships for Innovation - Technology Translation (PFI-TT) project is the development of effective/safe pesticide systems to protect crops from fungal diseases. The demand for crop protection chemicals is expected to reach $77+ B by 2027. Despite interventions, fungal diseases cause the loss of 10–23% and 10–20% of crop pre- and post-harvest, respectively. This research will identify safe, naturally produced molecules that provide enhanced fungicidal activity. The system will be developed to address Botrytis cinerea, which causes devastating diseases on 500+ plant species, particularly fresh fruits and vegetables, and results in economic losses ranging from $10 billion to $100 billion worldwide; the project will then address Phakopsora pachyrhizi, the cause of Asian soybean rust (SBR). The proposed project addresses the fundamental difficulty that, while agricultural adjuvants can improve the efficiency of agrochemicals against plant pathogens increasing crop yields and productivities, achieving this goal is dependent on fungicide-adjuvant relative doses, crop type, and physical characteristics of spray formulations. The latter is critical to facilitate the sticking of active-adjuvant formulations onto leaves. This project develops capabilities in sophorolipid (SL) modification chemistries to generate a library of compounds. Then, a high-throughput screening assay will allow rapid assessment of adjuvant-fungicide beneficial synergies. In parallel, to assess the potential for topical and systemic toxicities, selected adjuvant-fungicide combinations will be evaluated on fibroblast and kidney cell lines. SL analogs will also be tested for growth inhibition of a representative panel of non-pathogenic rhizobacteria. Also, in planta phytotoxicity will be studied using the detached leaf assay method. Fundamental interfacial and physical characterizations of the spraying formulation will determine the extent that active-adjuvant formulations stick onto leaves. Natural component and MSL structural characteristics that lead to compatibility with fungicides for crop protection will provide a foundation to inform expanded studies on a wider range of plant pathogens and crop types.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.