https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2025.163652，Chemical Engineering Journal, 2025

Abstract

Due to the concealed behaviors of subterranean pests, the application of insecticides faces numerous challenges. This study presents a novel attract-and-kill strategy that exploits subterranean pests’ reliance on CO2as a cue for food location. A calcium alginate gel bead system (CO2+CLO@CAG) was developed, combiningSaccharomyces cerevisiaeand clothianidin (CLO) for synchronized release of both CO2and CLO. The beads continuously release CO2for at least 35days, establishing a CO2gradient similar to that formed by plant roots. Additionally, starch was incorporated into the gel matrix to improve its sustained-release properties and stabilize CLO release under varying pH levels. Attraction tests confirmed that CO2+CLO@CAG beads effectively attracted grubs within a 20cm radius. In indoor attract-and-kill experiments, the beads exhibited a substantially greater attraction to grubs compared to peanut seedlings, and all grubs attracted to the beads died from poisoning within 3days. Moreover, the beads effectively mitigated the phytotoxicity of CLO on peanut seedlings, alleviating its negative impact on stem growth and significantly promoting root development. Field trials demonstrated a pest control effectiveness of 86.05%, which was significantly higher than the 62.79% effectiveness of commercial CLO granules. Biocompatibility testing with 8 other commercial pesticides showed compatibility with 6 of them, further validating the universal encapsulation capacity of the polysaccharide carrier and its ability to co-encapsulate various pesticides. This study underscores the potential of CO2+CLO@CAG as an efficient and sustainable solution for targeted subterranean pest management.

Graphical abstract

Chemical Engineering Journal, IF=13.4

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1385894725044869