GreenProtect

To ensure food security for the world's population in the future, crop yields must be significantly increased in the coming decades. Furthermore, it is necessary to significantly reduce the use of fungicides and herbicides in order to sustainably preserve livelihoods and produce healthy food. This requires new approaches that allow active substances to be specifically bound to plant surfaces and release quantities to be adjusted according to need (greenRelease technology).

This is where the Leibniz transfer project comes in, as it brings together fundamental findings from material sciences, chemistry and biotechnology: biodegradable active ingredient containers, so-called microgels, which are provided with binding peptides and can be universally loaded with active ingredients such as fertilisers or pesticides, enable rainproof binding and targeted active ingredient application to desired plant parts. This significantly reduces the amount of active ingredient and the required application cycles of the agents. In addition, it is ensured that there is complete biodegradability and that no microplastics are introduced into the environment. After the scientific concepts have been secured, a technology transfer up to commercial implementation is to take place.

The partner in this project is the Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry (IPB) in Halle.