Plant protection products have been used in agriculture for over a century, and among them copper-based fungicides remain essential tools for disease control, particularly for crops like tomatoes, cucumbers, and grapevines. However, their repeated application leads to the accumulation of copper in agricultural soils, where it is toxic to soil organisms and disrupts microbial communities. Regulatory actions promoted by various governments and the European Union are increasing pressure to reduce copper inputs to minimise its impact, making it urgent to develop new plant protection products that maintain efficacy while reducing environmental burden.
The ECOFUN project aimed to address this challenge through nanotechnology, developing smart copper-based nanomaterials as more efficient plant protection products, allowing a significant reduction of copper input in the environment. This new formulation was designed through the engineering of non-toxic, bone-inspired calcium phosphate nanoparticles (ACP), which are simultaneously capable of supplying plants with essential nutrients (phosphorus and calcium). The project was also specifically designed to validate the efficiency of the resulting nanomaterials against important plant-pathogenic fungi through in vitro tests and, ultimately, in vivo experiments. ECOFUN aimed for a reduction of at least 50% of the copper input compared to conventional products.
The project was structured around three main scientific work packages: synthesis, scale-up, and characterisation of the nanomaterial (WP1), in vitro biological evaluation against fungal and bacterial pathogens (WP2), and in vivo validation in greenhouse and field conditions (WP3), complemented by training, dissemination, and networking activities.
