Project Number: 6435-22000-014-00
Project Type: Appropriated

Start Date: Mar 01, 2007
End Date: Oct 31, 2010

Objective:
The overall goal of this research effort is to develop a bioherbicide formulation for weed control. Our two objectives focus on the development, assessment, and improvement of a wettable granule. These objectives are: (1) Develop a wettable granule formulation for foliar application of biological control agents. (2) Determine parameters such a UV exposure, humidity, etc., that may affect viability of biological control agents. Key features of the formulation will be cost-efficiency, improved safety, and adaptability to current application technologies. The formulation will be a wettable granule (WG) with the capacity to accommodate a variety of different micron-sized weed or insect biological control agents; however, our efforts will focus on C. gloeosporioides (C.g), a fungal weed agent, which will serve as a ¿model¿ agent. At the completion of this work, we expect to identify the best WG formulation for C.g from approximately 48 different WG formulations.

Approach:
Our approach is an efficient process in which a series of tests is used to screen a large number of formulations to arrive at an optimal WG for any agent; in this case, C.g. Specifically, up to 48 WG formulations will be prepared and screened for four different physical properties. C.g will be incorporated into the top three WG formulations determined from physical property measurements. Active WGs will be screened in greenhouse/efficacy studies to identify an optimal bioherbicide WG formulation.