Author ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7066-1635

Date Available

8-8-2023

Year of Publication

2023

Degree Name

Master of Science in Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering (MSBiosyAgE)

Document Type

Master's Thesis

College

Agriculture; Engineering

Department/School/Program

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

First Advisor

Dr. Tiffany L. Messer

Abstract

Due to a growing world population, pesticide applications are necessary part to increasing agricultural production on the same arable land, but this has created environmental contamination, human toxicity, and endangerment to non-target species (i.e, honeybees, monarch butterflies) from bulk pesticide application. Nanoengineered particles or ENP are a potential solution with increased efficiency, longer duration, and enhanced stability of pesticides due to their unique formulations at smaller sizes. However, the potential long-term impact to agroecosystems is still unknown. Therefore, the goal of this project was to evaluate the fate, transport, impact, and persistence of two commercially available nanopesticides (copper hydroxide and imidacloprid) within soils and runoff water of agricultural systems in Central Kentucky. Utilizing a field scale application of the pesticides with 2.4 m by 6.1 m plots enclosed with impermeable boundaries. Surface runoff samples were collected following rainfall events. Soil samples were also collected before and after the growing season. This data has shown that copper hydroxide did have a significant difference on total nitrogen and phosphate exported in surface runoff and was remaining in the soil after the growing season.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://doi.org/10.13023/etd.2023.369

Funding Information

Central Appalachian Region Education and Research Center training program [2022-2023]

the Nanotechnology for Agricultural and Food Systems grant no. 1025426 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture [2021 - 2023]

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