Root Exudate-Activated System for Agrochemical Delivery

Abstract

A system for delivering fertilizer to the roots of a plant includes coated fertilizer particles. The coating can include a cellulose derivative, optionally a fatty acid, and a component, such as an aptamer, which binds specifically to a material, such as serine, which is released by the roots of the plant when the plant is actively taking up nutrients from the soil. The permeability of the coating increases when the coated particles are exposed to the material released by the roots of the plant. Thus, nutrient release from the coated fertilizer particles is synchronized with uptake of the nutrients by the plant during active growth. Advantages of the system may include one or more of improved nitrogen use efficiency by the plant, improved crop productivity, and/or reduced leaching of fertilizer from the soil.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.