Dealing with pests is a huge challenge for farmers, especially as weeds and insects become more resistant to existing treatments. However, there may be a tiny solution to this big problem. A local researcher is exploring the use of nanotechnology to control agricultural pests without harming beneficial plants and insects.
Particles 10,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair may be the key to creating highly effective next generation herbicides and pesticides. Research scientist Dr. Justin Pahara says his team at Agriculture and Agrifood Canada’s Lethbridge Research and Development Centre use these particles to target agricultural pests.
“What we’re working to do with these nanoparticles is use them to help create specificity for very specific pests, which is very different from the traditional pesticides. We use them as what we call delivery devices, so they help us to get active ingredients into specific targets,” he explains.
In addition to nanoparticles, the lab is also developing next generation active ingredients which are again very specific to the pests being targeted. They have also invested in new robotic technologies which allow them to test thousands of different formulations in a short period of time. This will speed up the time it takes to create viable new pesticides.
“There’s lots of different kinds of pests. I would say all of the current pesticides we use are becoming tolerant, so it’s really important that we create new kinds of pesticides so that producers have the tools they need to succeed, so we all get fed and get nutrition we need,” he says.
Pahara says his team have started testing some of the new treatments, though it will be several years before these products will be ready to go to market.