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

这一创新-技术转化伙伴关系(PFI-TT)项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力是开发有效/安全的农药系统，以保护作物免受真菌疾病的侵袭。到2027年，对植保化学品的需求预计将达到770+亿美元。尽管采取了干预措施，真菌病在收获前和收获后分别造成10%-23%和10%-20%的作物损失。这项研究将确定安全的、天然产生的分子，提供增强的杀菌活性。开发该系统是为了解决灰霉病，它对500多种植物造成毁灭性的疾病，特别是新鲜水果和蔬菜，并导致全球经济损失从100亿美元到1000亿美元不等；然后，该项目将解决导致亚洲大豆锈病(SBR)的厚根霉(Phakopsora PachyRhi)。拟议的项目解决了一个根本困难，即虽然农业助剂可以提高农用化学品对植物病原体的效率，从而提高作物产量和生产力，但实现这一目标取决于杀菌剂-助剂的相对剂量、作物类型和喷雾配方的物理特性。后者对于促进活性佐剂制剂在叶子上的粘合至关重要。这个项目开发了苦豆脂(SL)修饰化学的能力，以产生一个化合物库。然后，高通量筛选试验将允许快速评估佐剂-杀菌剂的有益协同作用。同时，为了评估局部和全身毒性的可能性，将在成纤维细胞和肾脏细胞系上评估选定的佐剂-杀菌剂组合。SL类似物还将测试对一组具有代表性的非致病根际细菌的生长抑制作用。此外，还将使用离体叶测定法研究植物的毒性。喷雾配方的基本界面和物理特性将决定活性助剂配方粘在树叶上的程度。自然成分和MSL结构特征导致与用于作物保护的杀菌剂相容，这将为扩大对更广泛的植物病原体和作物类型的研究提供基础。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

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.