Development of Sustainable Releasing Micro Formulation System using γ-Irradiation Technique to Control Phytophthora Blight Disease

We introduced a novel sustainable slow-releasing agrochemical formulation, a biopolymer bound to silica, for controlling plant diseases. The formulation was obtained through the following process. Curdlan, sodium silicate ($Na_2SiO_3$) and isopropyl alcohol were dissolved in DDW (Deionized-distilled water). The resultant solution was then irradiated using a $^{60}Co$ ${\gamma}$-irradiator (150 TBq of capacity; ACEL, Canada) at KAERI. The resultant solution was treated with phosphorous acid ($H_3PO_3$). Finally, we obtained a novel biopolymer-silica microsized formulation containing phosphorous acid ($H_3PO_3$) from the solution. The morphology of the complex was characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). SEM and TEM images revealed that the curdlan-silica formulation has a particle size ranging from 1 to $3{\mu}m$ with high stability. We also detected that $H_3PO_3$ was distributed within the formulation through energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) analysis. $H_3PO_3$ was sustain-released from the formulation in water. Based on our results, it seems effectively that one or two applications of the formulation during a cropping season will assist in controlling various plant diseases.