Colloidal science aspects of crop protection with active pigment formulations

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Mixtures of paraffins and certain insoluble pigments help plants and grasses fight fungal diseases and greatly increase grass tolerance to low moisture conditions. This surprising finding has lead to a new family of crop protection chemicals marketed by Suncor (formerly Petro Canada). A team from McMaster University will be working with Suncor researchers to better understand the mechanisms by which the current products function with a view to increasing their effectiveness. This research will focus on the factors influencing the distribution of pigment particles on the leaf surfaces as well as nano-scale details of the pigment particle/leaf contact zone. Suncor will evaluate McMaster's new materials in their Guelph greenhouse facilities, increasing our understanding of the role of pigment and adjuvant (non-active formulation chemicals) properties.