Amyloid-Like Protein Aggregation Toward Pesticide Reduction

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Biomaterials Science
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Pesticide overuse leads to significant losses due to droplet bouncing and rain erosion.
• These losses contribute to widespread soil and groundwater pollution.
• Effective pesticide delivery and adhesion on plant surfaces remain a challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an eco-friendly method for enhancing pesticide droplet deposition and adhesion on superhydrophobic plant surfaces.
• To investigate the role of amyloid-like aggregation of bovine serum albumin (BSA) in improving pesticide retention.
• To reduce overall pesticide usage in agriculture through improved adhesion.

Main Methods:

• Triggering amyloid-like phase transition of BSA by reducing disulfide bonds with tris(2-carboxyethyl) phosphine hydrochloride (TCEP).
• Utilizing the resulting phase-transitioned BSA (PTB) oligomers to facilitate droplet penetration into leaf nanostructures.
• Leveraging amyloid-mediated interfacial adhesion for robust PTB binding to leaf surfaces.

Main Results:

• The PTB system demonstrated over 10 times higher pesticide adhesion capacity compared to conventional commercial pesticides.
• Farmland experiments showed a reduction in pesticide use by 70-90% without compromising crop yield.
• The method enhances pesticide droplet deposition and adhesion on superhydrophobic plant leaves.

Conclusions:

• Eco-friendly amyloid-like protein aggregation of BSA offers a viable strategy to significantly reduce pesticide application in agriculture.
• This approach addresses pesticide loss and environmental pollution concerns.
• The findings suggest a substantial potential for optimizing pesticide dosage in current agricultural practices.