Tuesday, 09 January 2024
A material that could replace current fungicides (i.e. anti-fungal pesticides), increase food security, and help protect wildlife has been discovered.
A recent investigation undertaken by Pesticide Action Network (PAN) revealed that the UK is still using 36 harmful pesticides that have been banned in other European countries, with 13 described as “highly hazardous” that have links to water contamination, cancer, infertility, and other illnesses.
Published in Green Chemistry, researchers at the University of Nottingham have completed a successful field trial of a material they have developed to help to protect crops from fungi.
Simon Avery, Professor of Eukaryotic Microbiology in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, said: “The test material is not toxic but works by passively resisting attachment of fungal spores to protect surfaces from fungal infection, including crop surfaces. Results from this first field trial with wheat are particularly encouraging as there is a lot of scope to optimise further the material properties for crop protection.”
We identified two lead polymer candidates by bio-performance testing using in vitro microplates and leaf-based assays. These were then taken forward into a programme to optimise and scale-up their synthesis and compound them into a spray formulation that could be used on crops.
Sprayed directly onto wheat at timings conventional for fungicides, the trial has provided the first real-world scale exemplification of how the material interacts with crops. The small plot trial compared the two polymer candidates to a multisite fungicide and two commercial fungicide programmes.
Valentina Cuzzucoli Crucitti, Research Fellow in the Faculty of Engineering, said: “Wheat is one of the most economically and nutritionally important cereal crops, but there’s a real-world challenge waiting to be solved as five to ten percent of yields are lost to fungal infections even with the use of resistant crop varieties and fungicides."
Our findings showed that the material not only significantly reduced fungal infection by the fungus Septoria tritici by up to 26% but also that the crop grew just as well as the control group – providing an alternative that appears safer for the environment, wildlife, and people, and is effective too.
For the field trial, the university partnered with ADAS, an independent provider of agricultural and environmental consultancy.
Chloe Morgan, Senior Research Scientist in Arable Crop Pathology at ADAS, said: “The results of the field trial were very promising, showing that polymers have a level of efficacy against Septoria tritici. With further optimisation they could play a vital role in future disease control strategies, either by replacing or being applied in mixture with conventional fungicides, novel polymers could also reduce the risk of fungicide resistance development, extending the life of existing products.”
Valentina continued: “Our attention is now turning to a second field trial that’s in the diary for this year to further hone and improve the polymer so we can continue turning our research into reality. The beauty of a material like this is its lack of toxicity, the relative simplicity of its production and the fact that it can be scaled up easily - making it an incredibly attractive prospect for several other industries, not just agriculture.”
To find out more about the project and read the paper in full, please click here.
Story credits
More information is available from Valentina Cuzzucoli Crucitti, Faculty of Engineering at the University Of Nottingham, at Valentina.CuzzucoliCrucitti1@nottingham.ac.uk or; Danielle Hall, Media Relations Manager at the University of Nottingham, at danielle.hall@nottingham.ac.uk or 0115 846 7156.
About the Faculty of Engineering:
Made up of six departments – Architecture and Built Environment, Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Mechanical, Materials and Manufacturing Engineering and Foundation Engineering and Physical Sciences – the university’s Faculty of Engineering is home to more than 5,600 students and 800 staff.
The faculty, which has educated engineers and architects for more than 140 years, was the first in the country to be accredited with an Athena SWAN Gold Award for excellence in advancing gender equality across higher education and research and is home to multiple state-of-the-art facilities, including the recently opened £40m Power Electronics and Machines Centre (PEMC).
With research at its heart, 20 research groups are undertaking pioneering projects for a sustainable future across several themes – including net zero transport, sustainable energies and the built environment, advanced manufacturing, and healthcare technologies – and has delivered a positive impact in more than 20 countries. The faculty’s research has benefitted 500 companies and three governments and has also directly created jobs for around 3,000 people across the world.
Notes to editors:
About the University of Nottingham
Ranked 32 in Europe and 16th in the UK by the QS World University Rankings: Europe 2024, the University of Nottingham is a founding member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities. Studying at the University of Nottingham is a life-changing experience, and we pride ourselves on unlocking the potential of our students. We have a pioneering spirit, expressed in the vision of our founder Sir Jesse Boot, which has seen us lead the way in establishing campuses in China and Malaysia - part of a globally connected network of education, research and industrial engagement.
Nottingham was crowned Sports University of the Year by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024 – the third time it has been given the honour since 2018 – and by the Daily Mail University Guide 2024.
The university is among the best universities in the UK for the strength of our research, positioned seventh for research power in the UK according to REF 2021. The birthplace of discoveries such as MRI and ibuprofen, our innovations transform lives and tackle global problems such as sustainable food supplies, ending modern slavery, developing greener transport, and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
The university is a major employer and industry partner - locally and globally - and our graduates are the second most targeted by the UK's top employers, according to The Graduate Market in 2022 report by High Fliers Research.
We lead the Universities for Nottingham initiative, in partnership with Nottingham Trent University, a pioneering collaboration between the city’s two world-class institutions to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing for residents in the city and region we are proud to call home.
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