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ARS Home » Plains Area » Lincoln, Nebraska » Agroecosystem Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #426944
Research Project: Managing Manure as a Soil Resource for Improved Biosecurity, Nutrient Availability, and Soil Sustainability

Location: Agroecosystem Management Research

Title: Fate and transport of nanopesticides in agricultural field plots in central Kentucky

Author
item RUD, WILLIAM - University Of Kentucky
item MESSER, TIFFANY - University Of Kentucky
item AGOURIDIS, CARMEN - University Of Kentucky
item SANDERSON, WAYNE - University Of Kentucky
item Miller, Daniel
item MONTANO, MANUEL - Western Washington University

Submitted to: Toxics
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/4/2025
Publication Date: 9/6/2025
Citation: Rud, W., Messer, T.L., Agouridis, C., Sanderson, W., Miller, D.N., Montano, M. 2025. Fate and transport of nanopesticides in agricultural field plots in central Kentucky. Toxics. 13(9):758. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics13090758.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics13090758

Interpretive Summary: Nanopesticides offer benefits of reduce application rates, lower degradation, and more direct impacts to target organisms, but field scale information on how some nanopesticides may travel away from the field is limited. A field study utilizing 30 plots was used to i) study how combined copper (II) hydroxide and imidacloprid nanopesticide applications might affect nutrient cycling and ii) quantify the persistence of copper (II) hydroxide in soil and surface runoff during the growing season. Soil samples were collected at the beginning and end of the growing season, while water quality runoff samples were collected following eleven rainfall events. Runoff ammonium concentrations decreased by 1.74 mg N/L in copper (II) hydroxide with nano-imidacloprid plots, while runoff total nitrogen concentrations increased in copper (II) hydroxide plots compared to combined nanopesticides plots. Orthophosphate concentrations decreased in copper (II) hydroxide and imidacloprid compared to all other pesticide treatments. Soil copper increased in all plots receiving copper (II) hydroxide. These findings show how nanopesticides can subtly affect nutrient cycling in agroecosystems.

Technical Abstract: Nanopesticides are an emerging method to apply pesticides more precisely to reduce application rates, lower premature degradation, and increase direct impacts to target organisms. However, field scale investigations of the fate and transport of nanopesticides, specifically copper (II) hydroxide and pesticide combinations such as imidacloprid, remain limited. Therefore, thirty 14.6 m2 field plots were used to: 1. Determine the impact of independent and combined copper (II) hydroxide and imidacloprid nanopesticide applications on nutrient cycling and 2. Quantify the persistence of copper (II) hydroxide in soil and surface runoff during the growing season. Soil samples were taken at the beginning and end of the growing season, while water quality runoff samples were collected following eleven rainfall events. Ammonium concentrations in runoff decreased in copper (II) hydroxide with nano-imidacloprid plots by 1.74 mg N/L, while total nitrogen concentrations in runoff increased by 1.29 mg N/L in of copper (II) hydroxide plots compared to combined nanopesticides plots . Further, orthophosphate concentrations in runoff decreased in copper (II) hydroxide and imidacloprid compared to all other pesticide treatments with 1.37 mg P/L than copper (II) hydroxide, 1.32 mg P/L than standard imidacloprid, and 1.30 mg P/L than nano imidacloprid. Significant increases in soil copper concentrations were also observed in all plots receiving copper (II) hydroxide. Findings emphasize the potential biogeochemical implications of using these nanopesticides on nutrient cycling in agroecosystems.