Turning Glyphosate into a sustainable nano-herbicide that can rehydrate plants

30 January 2025

            

AIBN researchers have turned to the most abundant organic compound on earth to help them transform a common weedkiller into a nano-herbicide that boosts plant hydration.  

By infusing the widely used herbicide Glyphosate with biodegradable nanocellulose, AIBN nanomaterials researchers Shangxu Jiang and Dr Li Li are creating a new, sustainable line of agricultural chemicals with a dual purpose: to fend off invasive weeds while improving crop rehydration.    

Shangxu Jiang and Dr Li Li

Shangxu said the new nano-herbicide taps into the remarkable mechanical qualities of nanocellulose to enhance the performance of Glyphosate and cut the required dosage.  

“In Australia we use Glyphosate quite widely, and have done so for 40 years,” Shangxu said. 

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“But there are also growing concerns around excessive use, both in terms of plant performance and the effect on human health and the wider food chain.  

“By adding nanocellulose we are able to greatly improve the efficiency and benefits of Glyphosate spray technologies - meaning less chemicals are needed to do much, much more.”   

To create the new product, Shangxu, Dr Li, and lab colleague Dr Peng Li drew on the expertise of AIBN nanocellulose researchers Dr Nasim Amiralian and Divya Rajah.  

Dr Amiralian has long been exploring the potential of nanocellulose and how it might be used to reshape the packaging and plastics industry with its incredible mechanical strength, elasticity, biocompatibility, and thermal stability. 

While this abundant biomatter is found in all plants, the nano-herbicide team specifically drew on fibres that originated in organic sugarcane waste.  

The team details in the journal Carbohydrate Polymers how nanocellulose particles and cellulose nanofibers were incorporated into Glyphosate formulations  

to significantly enhance the rehydration and sustained release of the chemical on plant leaf surfaces.  

“We showed that the herbicide's bioavailability and efficacy was greatly improved, which means it is possible to greatly reduce the required application dose,” Dr Li said. 

Shangxu Jiang

Shangxu said electrostatic interactions and physical adsorption of nanocellulose fibres with agrochemicals, such as herbicides, without the need for organic solvents, presented a significant advancement.  

“It is efficient, cost effective, more sustainable, and promotes higher plant performance, so we believe the commercial opportunities here are strong,” Shangxu said.  

“It is something that has the potential to change the delivery of agricultural chemicals.”  

Read the full research paper in Carbohydrate Polymers right here.  

 

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