Plant plasters: Efficient spray micro-coatings for plant delivery

这项提议将研究和应用最近发现的方法，将有益的化学物质强烈附着在植物的叶子、茎和水果上。这种材料具有非同寻常的良好能力，能够附着在农作物上，并比标准添加剂更有效地输送除草剂或杀虫剂活性成分，而且没有毒性。最近的研究结果表明，商业除草剂添加剂及其径流到大堡礁等脆弱生态系统中会带来重大的健康风险。该项目将解释异常有效但简单的粘合和输送性能，将新的添加剂纳入我们的工业合作伙伴的商业相关配方中，并努力在相应的制造规模上交付材料。

This proposal will study and apply recently-discovered methods of strongly attaching beneficial chemicals to plant leaves, stalks, and fruit. The materials have an unusually good ability to stick to crop plants and deliver herbicide or pesticide active ingredients more efficiently than standard additives, without toxicity. Recent findings have shown significant health risks from commercial herbicide additives and their run-off into vulnerable ecosystems like the Great Barrier Reef. This project will explain the unusually effective, but simple, adhesion and delivery performance, incorporate the new additives into commercially-relevant formulations for our industrial partner, and work to deliver the materials at relevant manufacturing scales.