A comprehensive review on starch: Structure, modification, and applications in slow/controlled-release fertilizers in agriculture

Recent advances in nano-fertilizers: synthesis, crop yield impact, and economic analysis

“…1–4 Efforts to meet this demand must focus on increasing resource utilization efficiency without compromising agricultural production, and modern science and technologies can play a critical role in achieving this goal. 5–8…”

Nanocellulose/wood ash-reinforced starch–chitosan hydrogel composites for soil conditioning and their impact on pea plant growth

“…However, this study specifically targets pea plant growth, providing insights into the effectiveness of the hydrogel composite for a particular crop, explicitly targets pea plant growth and evaluates the effectiveness of the hydrogel composite in promoting growth parameters such as plant height, leaf area, and biomass production. 8,38,39 The results of the pot experiments and growth parameter analysis suggest that the hydrogel composite effectively enhances pea plant growth. While other crosslinking agents, such as glutaraldehyde or glyoxal, might have been utilized in previous studies, the current research employs citric acid as a cross linker.…”

Superabsorbent Hydrogels in the Agriculture and Reclamation of Degraded Areas

“…The crosslinking density also influences the degree of swelling and is used to control the substance release process. In order to create a polymer particle characterised by controlled release, typically the polymer is obtained first and then the active substance is added to the polymer by saturating/swelling the finished polymer in a solution of the active substance and then drying the gel [18,[160][161][162][163].…”

“…Copolymerisation of natural polysaccharides, such as alginate [42], starch [161], cellulose [30], saccharose or chitosan [190][191][192] with hydrophilic synthetic polymers is one method of producing environmentally friendly polymers.…”