Smart Nanopesticide with Fungal Microenvironment-Responsive Release for Sustainable Management of Tomato Gray Mold

The current trend in nanopesticide development focuses on designing nanocarriers that integrate a small particle size, strong leaf adhesion, efficient uptake and translocation, and stimulus-responsive release. In this study, we synthesized a versatile nanocarrier, dopamine-doped ZIF-8 (pZIF-8), which incorporates these desired properties, and loaded it with prochloraz (Pro) to construct an intelligent nanopesticide. The system was designed to respond specifically to the acidic microenvironment induced by Botrytis cinerea, a globally devastating phytopathogen affecting tomato production. Under acidic conditions (pH 3.0), the cumulative release rate of Pro from Pro@pZIF-8 was approximately 2.9 times higher than that under neutral conditions (pH 7.0), confirming its acid-triggered controlled release behavior. Adhesion tests demonstrated that Pro@pZIF-8 exhibited significantly stronger retention on leaf surfaces compared with both Pro EW and unmodified Pro@ZIF-8. Furthermore, uptake and translocation experiments revealed that pZIF-8 could be efficiently absorbed by tomato leaves and transported to the stems and roots within a short period. Biologically, the EC₅₀ value of Pro@pZIF-8 against B. cinerea was 0.061 μg/mL, markedly lower than that of free Pro (0.107 μg/mL), indicating substantially enhanced fungicidal activity. Pot experiments further validated its practical efficacy, showing that Pro@pZIF-8 increased the control efficiency against tomato gray mold by 1.54 times compared to Pro alone. Importantly, biosafety evaluations confirmed that the pZIF-8 carrier caused no significant adverse effects on tomato plants and effectively reduced the toxicity associated with technical Pro.