UPL – Herbicide Enabling Technologies
Introduction
We are looking for innovative ideas that enable existing herbicides to be used in new ways through improvements in performance, selectivity, novel combinations, formulation stability or handling (residual control, reduced leaching, and minimized off-target effects). Potential solutions may include, but are not limited to, the use of crop safeners, herbicide encapsulation, formulants, adjuvants, synergists, tank-mix partners and soil behavior modifiers.
Solutions of interest include:
- Crop safeners to increase the range of crops a herbicide can be used in, or to increase usage options within an existing crop, such as allowing post-emergence applications or higher application rates.
- Herbicide encapsulation (or similar formulation advances) to increase crop safety by controlling the release of the active ingredient, to allow co-formulation of incompatible active ingredients, or to extend residual weed control performance in the soil.
- Soil behavior modifiers such as formulants, adjuvants, adsorbents, stabilizers, and soil conditioners to improve handling performance, by controlling the release rate, reducing mobility, extending the active life, adjusting environmental interactions, reducing soil leaching, and/or ensuring more even dispersion within the soil matrix.
Who can apply?
Our must-have requirements are:
- Any formulation changes or additives should have a reason to believe it can be easily approved by the EPA or have a clear pathway to approval.
- Any formulation changes or additives should demonstrate a reasonable potential to be cost-effective at scale.
Our nice-to-have’s are:
- Solutions involving formulation components that are presently EPA approved.
- Solutions that do not drastically increase application rate, e.g. current herbicide is applied at 30 fl oz/A but new version would need to be applied at 90 fl oz/A.
What’s out of scope:
- Trait-enabled solutions that involve modifying or enhancing the genetic traits of crops.
Acceptable technology readiness levels (TRL):
- Levels 3-9
Awards or Benefits
- Sponsored Research
Funding is proposal dependent, but an accepted proposal may receive support in the range of 50,000 – 200,000 USD (milestone dependent) with the potential for follow on funding. - Facilities and ServicesSuccessful applicants will have access to UPLs global network of research stations and greenhouse/lab facilities to conduct research year-round.
- ExpertiseSuccessful applicants will work with the UPL Global Lead for new Herbicide Technologies to manage the project.
- Tools and TechnologiesAvailable analytical capabilities include:
- Active ingredient quantitation
- In vitro/in vivo efficacy evaluation
- Targeted biomarker quantitation
- Oligonucleotide sequence verification and purity analysis
- Untargeted metabolomics of biological products and tissues
- Mode of action assays
- Chemical synthesis
- Chromatographic isolation, purification, identification of compounds of interest
Main Organizers or Sponsors
UPL