Bio-nano pesticides: Harnessing plant-based nanoparticles for sustainable pest control

Due to growing environmental and health concerns associated with synthetic pesticides, researchers are scaling their efforts to develop biodegradable alternatives that originate from the underlying derivatives of harmful pesticides. In this research, we carried out a systematic program of structural derivatization with structurally ecological versions of pesticides to assess whether structural modification, followed by making the compounds biodegradable allowed development of alternative semio-chemical pesticides with lower ecological costs and biological performance similar to traditional pesticides.

We developed and assessed a series of turfgrass pesticide derivatives that incorporated biodegradable functional moieties, natural bioactive moieties and based on principles of green chemistry. We found a dramatic decline in toxicity, bioaccumulation and persistence while maintaining pest control efficacy. Through computational and experimental methods, we also demonstrated that the versions a number of these versions had better predict biodegradability and lower risk towards non-target organisms. Based on field trials, there are potential indications that the derivatives exhibit a sustainable pathway for developing alternative pesticide chemicals in a manner that balances agricultural productivity and environmental safety.  However there needs to be further studies in natural habitats to prove this hypothesis regarding the ecological use of these biopesticide derivatives and more research on commercializing the research.