Zinkicide®: Particulate-Based Therapeutic Agent Fights Citrus Plant Diseases

Abstract

Researchers at the University of Central Florida have developed Zinkicide®, a potent bactericide/fungicide that can effectively treat and prevent diseases in citrus plants and trees such as Huanglongbing (HLB), also called citrus greening. HLB is an invasive citrus disease that is devastating major citrus-producing regions. The disease causes significant crop loss by increasing premature fruit drop and making the fruit smaller and unpalatable. 

Zinkicide® offers an economically feasible and environmentally sustainable solution that can improve plant production, fruit quality, and grower profitability. The non-copper alternative for crop protection can be applied with existing pesticide application equipment. It uses specifically-designed nanoparticles to allow for systemic activity from spray or drench applications while avoiding phytotoxicity. The particulates are small enough to be transported through a plant’s phloem system to reach HLB pathogen-infected areas.

Technical Details

The UCF invention comprises compositions and methods of making and applying Zinkicide® which includes a vacancy-engineered (VE) ZnO nanocomposite. Zinkicide® is a non-phytotoxic zinc oxide (ZnO)-based nanoformulation. With its high antimicrobial potency, the formula can produce biocidal molecular species in a sustained manner. All Zinkicide ingredients are EPA- and FDA-approved for agricultural applications.

Partnering Opportunity

The UCF team is seeking collaborative research and development opportunities with industrial partners.

Benefit

Market Application

Publications

Zinkicide Is a ZnO-Based Nanoformulation with Bactericidal Activity against Liberibacter crescens in Batch Cultures and in Microfluidic Chambers Simulating Plant Vascular Systems, ASM Journals, Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 03 August 2020; Vol. 86, No. 16, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1128/AEM.00788-20.