Safe nanotechnologies for increasing the effectiveness of environmentally friendly natural agrochemicals

Abstract

Natural compounds and living organisms continue to play a limited role in crop protection, and few of them have reached the market, despite their attractiveness and the efforts made in research. Very often these products have negative characteristics compared to synthetic compounds, e.g., higher costs of production, lower effectiveness, lack of persistence, and inability to reach and penetrate the target plant. Conversely, nanotechnologies are having an enormous impact on all human activities, including agriculture, even if the production of some nanomaterials is not environmentally friendly or could have adverse effects on agriculture and the environment. Thus, certain nanomaterials could facilitate the development of formulated natural pesticides, making them more effective and more environmentally friendly. Nanoformulations can improve efficacy, reduce effective doses, and increase shelf‐life and persistence. Such controlled‐release products can improve delivery to the target pest. This review considers certain available nanomaterials and nanotechnologies for use in agriculture, discussing their properties and the feasibility of their use in sustainable crop protection, in particular, in improving the effectiveness of natural bio‐based agrochemicals. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry

Herbicidal properties of the commercial formulation of methyl cinnamate, a natural compound in the invasive silver wattle (Acacia dealbata)

“…They may also provide a basis for developing new compounds for weed control (Dayan and Duke 2014; Dayan et al 2012; Yan et al 2018). Although natural molecules have some limitations in general weed control (Dayan et al 2012), they are expected to be less toxic and more environmentally friendly than synthetic herbicides (Bhadoria 2011; Vurro et al 2019).…”

When Sustainable Nanochemistry Meets Agriculture: Lignin Nanocapsules for Bioactive Compound Delivery to Plantlets

“…Several polymers are currently used in plant science for delivery purposes, such as starch, alginate, chitin, albumin, and cellulose 17 . Polymeric β-glucan, obtained by the treatment of crustaceous chitin, possesses itself an antifungal activity 18 .…”

Guest Edited Collection: Nanotechnology in agriculture

“…Nanodevices can benefit agriculture through the development of more efficient and less contaminant agrochemicals, using nanocarriers and smart delivery systems for controlled release. These nanoformulations provide several advantages, such as protection for the active substances, increased solubilization, and facilitating penetration and internalization into plant and target organism tissues [2][3][4] . All these should lead to an increased effectiveness of the agrochemicals, reducing waste, dosage, and-as a consequence-minimizing any adverse effects on the environment and non-target organisms.…”

“…In addition, farming efficiency relies on the massive use of agrochemicals for maintaining crop yields, which pushes against the sustainability of the system. Research aiming to minimize the negative impact of agrochemicals has been a priority for a long time, and nanotechnology provides a promising new tool, for both fertilization 2 and crop protection 3 .…”