Auxin‐Functionalized Nanocarriers Hijack Endogenous Transport for Systemic Crop Protection in Plants

Abstract

ABSTRACT Precise delivery of functional agents to specific plant organs remains a central challenge, as synthetic materials rarely access endogenous long‐distance transport pathways. Here, we report an auxin‐functionalized nanocarrier strategy that enables programmable systemic transport by interfacing engineered materials with plant signaling networks. Nanocarrier dimensions were tuned to ∼55 nm to limit endocytosis and favor extracellular localization, while auxin motifs were introduced on the particle surface. This design establishes a predominantly extracellular interface that hijacks polar auxin transport pathways. As a result, PIN‐mediated fluxes are enhanced, accompanied by a 10.42‐fold upregulation of PIN1, enabling directional leaf‐to‐root transport over centimeter scales and a 72.32‐fold increase in root accumulation. This signal‐coupled transport mechanism enables efficient root‐targeted delivery of agrochemical cargos (abamectin) via foliar application, achieving up to 79.71% control of root‐knot nematodes while reducing pesticide input by half. Furthermore, bypassing soil application provides a 3.20‐fold higher ecological safety margin and yields a 16.47% increase in crop production. Beyond this application, the work establishes a generalizable design principle in which synthetic materials exploit endogenous signaling frameworks to navigate biological transport systems, opening new opportunities for systemic crop protection and bio‐integrated material delivery.