Researchers test nanotechnology concept against herbicide ‘drift’

by George Jared (gjared@talkbusiness.net)

One of the most controversial issues in Arkansas agriculture is the use of the herbicide dicamba. It is one of the few herbicides that is still effective against pigweed, a pervasive weed that impacts many row crop fields in the Delta.

The problem with dicamba is that it is prone to drift onto adjacent fields and can cause serious damage to crops that haven’t been genetically modified to use the herbicide. Scientists in the Natural State are researching a new solution to this generations-long problem.

The startup CelluDot will receive a nearly $1 million National Science Foundation grant to optimize a nanotechnology product developed by the scientists of the company when they were doctoral students. The goal is to mitigate herbicide drift, and the ongoing research will be done in partnership with the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station.

https://talkbusiness.net/2023/09/researchers-test-nanotechnology-concept-against-herbicide-drift/