A Smart Pesticide-Controlled Release Platform with Dual Stimuli-Responsive Functions for Enhanced Treatment of Plant Black Shank

Abstract

Realizing controllable input of botanical pesticides is conducive to improving pesticide utilization, reducing pesticide residues, and avoiding environmental pollution but is extremely challenging. Herein, we constructed a smart pesticide-controlled release platform (namely, SCRP) for enhanced treatment of tobacco black shank based on encapsulating honokiol (HON) with mesoporous hollow structured silica nanospheres covered with pectin and chitosan oligosaccharide (COS). The SCRP has a loading capacity of 12.64% for HON and could effectively protect HON from photolysis. Owing to the pH-and pectinase-sensitive property of the pectin, the SCRP could smartly release HON in response to a low pH or a rich pectinase environment in the black shank-affected area. Consequently, the SCRP effectively inhibits the infection of P. nicotianae on tobacco with a controlled rate for tobacco black shank of up to 87.50%, which is mainly due to the SCRP's capability in accumulating ROS, changing cell membrane permeability, and affecting energy metabolism. In addition, SCRP is biocompatible, and the COS layer enables SCRP to show a significant growth-promoting effect on tobacco. These results indicate that the development of a stimuli-responsive controlled pesticide release system for plant disease control is of great potential and value for practical agriculture production.

Metabolomics and transcriptomics combined with physiology reveal key metabolic pathway responses in tobacco roots exposed to NaHS

“…Pesticides may have both immediate acute effects in the short term and chronic effects over a longer period of time with repeated exposure to low concentrations. The excessive use of pesticides for tobacco disease control can result in soil, water, and air pollution, posing risks to human health, including tobacco farmers, and ecosystem well-being due to their toxicity, residues, and the development of pathogen resistance in organisms [ 4 , 5 ]. Hence, reducing pesticide usage and adopting highly efficient and environmentally friendly formulations are imperative for the sustainable future of agriculture.…”