A biopesticidal lease of life for crop protection : additive manufacturing for tailored timing of biopesticide release by natural triggers
Lead Research Organisation:
CAB International
Department Name: International Development (UK)
Abstract
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Technical Summary
Our goal is to develop an additive manufactured capsule with a multi-fungi payload, each of which can be timed to deliver when most needed, providing an alternative to synthetic pesticides.
Work Package 1
We will use extrusion-based additive manufacturing systems to create capsules that will package biopesticides in a way that allows them to be released at some predetermined time after planting or under specific conditions. We will develop formulations that a) allow for additive manufacturing via extrusion, requiring the development of pastes of suitable rheology, b) package the biopesticides such that they are protected and remain viable when they are released from the capsule and c) are triggerable, either via an external stimulus or via changes in the environment, such as a change in hydration or pH.
Work Package 2
We will use five known pest / disease pathogens from different genera and representing a range of morphologies and physicochemical characters. This diversity will be important for informing optimal capsule design which, depending on results, might be tailored for different fungal biopesticide species. The results of viability assessment, undertaken post printing, will allow us to gauge and optimize the relative performance of different encapsulation agents and decomposition protocols in offering the greatest recovery, on cue, of viable biopesticide.
Work Package 3
WP3 will evaluate the performance of the capsules and condition of released fungi in soil conditions, enabling us to assess the level of efficacy of our approach for controlled release of biopesticides in soils, before moving to true field-like conditions in follow up work. We will assess the compatibility of combining biopesticide and plant growth-promoting strains within the same capsule, allowing us to optimise the combinations which are likely to be successful in the field.
Work Package 1
We will use extrusion-based additive manufacturing systems to create capsules that will package biopesticides in a way that allows them to be released at some predetermined time after planting or under specific conditions. We will develop formulations that a) allow for additive manufacturing via extrusion, requiring the development of pastes of suitable rheology, b) package the biopesticides such that they are protected and remain viable when they are released from the capsule and c) are triggerable, either via an external stimulus or via changes in the environment, such as a change in hydration or pH.
Work Package 2
We will use five known pest / disease pathogens from different genera and representing a range of morphologies and physicochemical characters. This diversity will be important for informing optimal capsule design which, depending on results, might be tailored for different fungal biopesticide species. The results of viability assessment, undertaken post printing, will allow us to gauge and optimize the relative performance of different encapsulation agents and decomposition protocols in offering the greatest recovery, on cue, of viable biopesticide.
Work Package 3
WP3 will evaluate the performance of the capsules and condition of released fungi in soil conditions, enabling us to assess the level of efficacy of our approach for controlled release of biopesticides in soils, before moving to true field-like conditions in follow up work. We will assess the compatibility of combining biopesticide and plant growth-promoting strains within the same capsule, allowing us to optimise the combinations which are likely to be successful in the field.
