A pH-response nano pesticide delivery system based on ZIF-8: effectiveness, delivery and safety in mustard application.

The pesticide nano delivery systems based on ZIF-8 were widely reported and improved the uptake and translocation of pesticides in crops. Few studies have reported how ZIF-8 improved the uptake and translocation of pesticides in crops. Here, a simple abamectin (AVM) nano delivery system (AVM@ZIF-8) was developed, which we hypothesized could improve the uptake and translocation of the non-systemic pesticide AVM in mustard without increasing the negative effects on mustard. The results showed that the foliar uptake (9.25-12.93 times) and the bidirectional translocation of AVM@ZIF-8 were significantly increased (1.94-27.94 times) compared to AVM. This is because ZIF-8 promotes the in vivo transport of AVM by disrupting the cell membrane and modifying its subcellular distribution. In addition, loading of AVM using ZIF-8 attenuated the effect of AVM on mustard galactose metabolism. These results provide a reference for understanding the uptake, translocation, and safety of ZIF-8-based pesticide nano delivery systems in crops.