Agrochemicals such as fertilizer, pesticides, herbicides, anti-microbial agents, bio-stimulants, growth factors are being used for enhancing crop production and nutrition, require to feed the global population. However, excessive use of such agrochemicals causes environmental contamination, degradation and also affects the biodiversity of flora and fauna. Further, currently used most agrochemicals having low use efficiency, means they are being used in more amount than optimally required quantity by plants.  Unused agrochemicals often transform into another chemical form and release to the environment in form of gaseous emission, leaching, or runoff. For instance, unused nitrogen and phosphatic fertilizer causes eutrophication when ends up in water bodies and affects aquatic life. Similarly, nitrogen fertilizers also get lost in form of ammonia or nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas, causing global warming. Various attempts were made for enhancing the use efficiency of agrochemicals so that their unintended release into the environment can be minimized or stopped. For instance, coating of hydrophobic lipid (oil) on the surface of urea fertilizer, use of urease inhibitors, however, their success is still not as desired.  Therefore, it is essential to develop a platform that enables nutrient to release in a controlled manner, has improved use efficiency and require less by mass volume for obtaining desired crop growth and yield. The present disclosure relates generally to composition based on nanoscale materials synthesized from a raw material originated from biological sources and methods for providing nanotechnology-based agrochemicals to plants as nutrition, growth stimulants, bio-stimulants and crop health protection. More particularly, the present invention relates to a composition including chitosan nanoplatforms and methods for control release of agrochemicals.

Nanoscale biomaterial for developing next-generation agrochemicals

ACS Spring 2022

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.