An Iranian researcher has developed biodegradable and biocompatible nano-pesticides that are able to kill pesticides without causing any contamination to the environment.
Narges Memarizadeh, the project’s director, told Mehr News correspondent that many synthesized pesticides currently in use across the globe for controlling pests in agriculture can cause great damage to the environment.
To avoid such environmental hazards, she said, her project utilizes nanotechnology to increase the performance and decrease the use of pesticides by creating biodegradable and biocompatible nano-pesticides with no or less negative effects on the environment.
Noting that encapsulation is one way for developing such pesticides, Memarzadeh added “in this project, the formulation for a biodegradable and biocompatible nano-pesticides (imidacloprid) was developed through direct encapsulation of dendritic poly (citric acid)-poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(citric acid) (PCA-PEG-PCA) copolymers."
By studying various spectroscopic, microscopic, and thermal analyses of imidacloprid nano-formulation, the formation of imidacloprid nano-capsules was confirmed
Memarzadeh added that the study on the nano-pesticide in vivo conditions on a mulberry leaf moth as the sample pest revealed a significant decrease in the required dosage of pesticide and environmental hazards.
According to her, the nano-pesticide can be used on pistachios, tobacco, citrus, cotton, ornamental plants, lettuce, cabbage, and sugar beets.
MS/2939008
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