Eco‐friendly diflufenican nanosuspension improved foliar dispersion, penetration, and contact herbicidal activity against broadleaf weeds by uniform deposition

BACKGROUND: Herbicides play an irreplaceable role in ensuring global food production and security. The low dispersion, non-uniform deposition, and negligible translocation of low water-soluble contact herbicides restrict the bioactivity. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop novel, promising, and eco-friendly pesticide formulations to improve bioactivity and reduce the environmental input of herbicides. RESULTS: The diflufenican nanosuspension (NS) with satisfactory physical stability was prepared by wet media milling. The uniform deposition of diflufenican nanoparticles in NS on the surface of weed leaves improved the contact area with the target and enhanced the efficiency in penetrating the biological barrier. The indoor and field experiments showed that NS can exhibit comparable contact herbicidal activity against broadleaf weeds even with a 50% reduction in dosage compared to conventional pesticide formulations without negatively affecting the safety of wheat. The superior herbicidal activity of NS was due to its stronger ability to bind to the phytoene desaturase and prevent carotenoid biosynthesis, which further accelerated chlorophyll degradation. CONCLUSIONS: Our research represents an eco-friendly, low-cost, and scalable pathway for the efficient delivery of low water-soluble contact herbicides, which can provide practical support for reducing the environmental inputs and increasing the efficiency of contact herbicides. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.