pH /laccase dual‐responsive sodium boscalid@lignosulfonate/ε‐polylysine/Fe microcapsules for controlled pesticide release with enhanced efficacy and biosafety

BACKGROUND: Environmentally responsive pesticide delivery systems have gained significant attention for their ability to enhance pesticide utilization, prolong efficacy, and lower environmental risks. Nevertheless, the carrier materials widely adopted in current controlled-release pesticide delivery systems are predominantly synthetic polymers, whose own environmental footprint is of growing concern. RESULTS: as a crosslinker. The microcapsules had an average particle size of 450.02 nm, encapsulation efficiency of 81.6%, and drug loading of 10.4%. Acidic pH and laccase significantly accelerated boscalid release, and the release process followed first-order kinetics. Compared with commercial boscalid formulation, the microcapsules exhibited better UV shielding, foliar wettability, retention, and rainfast adhesion. The half-maximal effective concentration against Botrytis cinerea at pH 5.0 was 102.50 mg/L, 16% lower than at pH 7.0. The formulation also reduced phytotoxicity to wheat and acute toxicity to zebrafish. CONCLUSION: With their exceptional environmental responsiveness, promising bioactivity, excellent biosafety, and especially their use of natural materials as carriers, these controlled-release systems show great potential for application in modern green agriculture.