Tannic acid and Cu2+-modified palygorskite nanocarriers for enhanced environmental stability and performance of prochloraz in crop disease control

Pesticides are essential for controlling plant diseases and pests in modern agriculture, yet traditional formulations often suffer from poor adhesion, rapid UV degradation, and loss due to rainwater runoff. This study introduces Pro@TA-Cu 2+ -Pal, a novel pH-responsive release system designed to enhance the performance of prochloraz, a widely used fungicide. By integrating tannic acid and copper ions onto palygorskite, this nanocarrier with metal–phenolic networks improves prochloraz wettability and adhesion on leaf surfaces while significantly enhancing UV stability and rainfastness. Under UV exposure, Pro@TA-Cu 2+ -Pal showed a 3.9-fold lower degradation rate than the commercial emulsion-in-water formulation (Pro EW). In simulated rain tests, Pro@TA-Cu 2+ -Pal exhibited superior rain-fastness, retaining >80 % of the applied fungicide on leaf surfaces, whereas Pro EW showed a marked reduction in retention. Pot trials showed that Pro@TA-Cu 2+ -Pal provided excellent control against wheat powdery mildew, outperforming Pro EW in both protective and curative treatments, with more effective and sustained disease control. Importantly, Pro@TA-Cu 2+ -Pal proved safe with no phytotoxicity observed in the crop. These findings highlight the potential of Pro@TA-Cu 2+ -Pal as an economical, eco-friendly, and sustainable solution for improving pesticide efficiency, reducing environmental impact, and supporting long-term crop protection.