Source  JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION

Published  DEC 1 2025

DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2025.147099

IF 10.0

Abstract  Glyphosate isopropylammonium salt (GIS) is widely applied in global agricultural production owing to its high herbicidal efficiency and low cost. However, droplet drift is the main cause of GIS missing the target area and damaging the surrounding environment, thus necessitating the development of novel strategies to increase pesticide utilization and improve agricultural sustainability. Herein, a simple and scalable method has been developed for reduced droplet drift and enhanced target deposition of GIS via a sprayable hydrogel assisting by octadecylamine-modified polyacrylic acid (P(AA/C18). Hydrogel tablets of GIS (P (AA/C18)@GIS) are formulated from P(AA/C18) and GIS without other additives, which demonstrates the advantages of convenient transportation, environmental friendliness and low cost. Dilution of the P(AA/C18)@GIS tablets with water affords liquid GIS hydrogel, which inhibits breakage and rebound behavior upon impact with the leaf surface. Wind tunnel tests showed that the droplet drift volume of P(AA/C18)@GIS at 4 m from the nozzle was 40.89 mu L, which was 85.3 % and 78.96 % less than those of GIS aqueous solution (GIAS) and commercially available GIS liquid (GISS), respectively. Moreover, droplet deposition was significantly lower in non-target regions compared to those of GIAS and GISS, with a minimum reduction of 32.2 %. The herbicidal ability of P(AA/C18)@GIS against barnyardgrass was comparable to that of GISS. Spraying the carrier material had no effect on the growth of conventional maize, while P(AA/C18)@GIS showed safety in the growth of glyphosate-resistant cotton. This research promotes sustainable agricultural development by effectively addressing pesticide drift and its associated issues.