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**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** THE FOLIAR APPLICATION OF FERTILIZERS IS AN IMPORTANT PRACTICE FOR SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE. COMPARED TO TRADITIONAL SOIL-APPLIED FERTILIZERS, FOLIAR-APPLIED FERTILIZERS APPLY AT LOWER RATE, ACCOMMODATE VARIOUS SOIL CONDITIONS, AND DIRECTLY ADDRESS THE NUTRITION NEEDS OF PLANT ORGANS AT THEIR GROWING STAGE. HOWEVER, FOLIAR FERTILIZERS EXPERIENCES RUNOFF AND UNEVEN DISTRIBUTION THAT CAUSES LEAF BURN. CELLULOSE NANOFIBRIL (CNF) IS AN ECONOMICAL AND BIOMASS-DERIVED GREEN NANOMATERIAL THAT POSSESS A HAIRY MORPHOLOGY. WE PROPOSED THREE MECHANISMS OF POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF APPLYING CNF WITH FOLIAR FERTILIZERS. 1) CNF INTERACT WITH FERTILIZER IONS AND PROVIDE A MORE EVEN DISTRIBUTION OF FERTILIZER PARTICLES ACROSS LEAF SURFACE. 2) CNF-TEMPLATED FERTILIZERS ARE SMALLER IN SIZE, THEREFORE, FASTER IN DISSOLUTION AND ABSORPTION. 3) CNF PHYSICALLY ENTANGLES WITH LEAF SURFACE FEATURES (E.G. TRICHOMES), ASSISTING FERTILIZER RETENTION. IF SUCCESSFUL, WE CAN LOWER THE COST OF FOLIAR FERTILIZER PRACTICEBY REDUCING THE TIMES OF SPRAY AND FERTILIZER USAGE. WE MAY LESSEN ENVIRONMENTAL BURDEN CAUSED BY OVER FERTILIZING. IN ADDITION, WE CAN IMPROVE THE CROP PRODUCTIVITY BY MINIMIZING LEAF DAMAGE CAUSED BY FERTILIZER BURN. WE EXPECT TO EXTRAPOLATE OUR KNOWLEDGE OF CNF/FERTILIZER INTERACTION TO GENERAL AGROCHEMICALS, WHICH MAY GREATLY BENEFIT THE OVERALL AGROCHEMICAL INDUSTRY (PESTICIDES, FUNGICIDES, HERBCIDES, ETC.).

$298,311FY2023National Institute of Food and AgricultureUSDA

University Of Maine System

Investigators

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**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** THE FOLIAR APPLICATION OF FERTILIZERS IS AN IMPORTANT PRACTICE FOR SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE. COMPARED TO TRADITIONAL SOIL-APPLIED FERTILIZERS, FOLIAR-APPLIED FERTILIZERS APPLY AT LOWER RATE, ACCOMMODATE VARIOUS SOIL CONDITIONS, AND DIRECTLY ADDRESS THE NUTRITION NEEDS OF PLANT ORGANS AT THEIR GROWING STAGE. HOWEVER, FOLIAR FERTILIZERS EXPERIENCES RUNOFF AND UNEVEN DISTRIBUTION THAT CAUSES LEAF BURN. CELLULOSE NANOFIBRIL (CNF) IS AN ECONOMICAL AND BIOMASS-DERIVED GREEN NANOMATERIAL THAT POSSESS A HAIRY MORPHOLOGY. WE PROPOSED THREE MECHANISMS OF POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF APPLYING CNF WITH FOLIAR FERTILIZERS. 1) CNF INTERACT WITH FERTILIZER IONS AND PROVIDE A MORE EVEN DISTRIBUTION OF FERTILIZER PARTICLES ACROSS LEAF SURFACE. 2) CNF-TEMPLATED FERTILIZERS ARE SMALLER IN SIZE, THEREFORE, FASTER IN DISSOLUTION AND ABSORPTION. 3) CNF PHYSICALLY ENTANGLES WITH LEAF SURFACE FEATURES (E.G. TRICHOMES), ASSISTING FERTILIZER RETENTION. IF SUCCESSFUL, WE CAN LOWER THE COST OF FOLIAR FERTILIZER PRACTICEBY REDUCING THE TIMES OF SPRAY AND FERTILIZER USAGE. WE MAY LESSEN ENVIRONMENTAL BURDEN CAUSED BY OVER FERTILIZING. IN ADDITION, WE CAN IMPROVE THE CROP PRODUCTIVITY BY MINIMIZING LEAF DAMAGE CAUSED BY FERTILIZER BURN. WE EXPECT TO EXTRAPOLATE OUR KNOWLEDGE OF CNF/FERTILIZER INTERACTION TO GENERAL AGROCHEMICALS, WHICH MAY GREATLY BENEFIT THE OVERALL AGROCHEMICAL INDUSTRY (PESTICIDES, FUNGICIDES, HERBCIDES, ETC.). · GrantIndex