Application of Chitin/Chitosan Based Agro Nano Chemicals in Crop Protection
摘要
The agriculture sector is an integral part of the global economy after the industrial sector, alongside the vast majority of people in the world depend on agriculture for their livelihood along with food. Challenges such as climate changes, deficiency of clean water and cultivable land, emerging plant pest species, and global warming have been increasing and affecting agriculture crop production. In the outlook of protecting agriculture or crops from the environment through chemical, mechanical, and scientific encroachment, scientists and researchers began to search for solutions for the protection of crops. Chitin and Chitosan have distinct characteristics such as biocompatibility, nontoxicity, biodegradability, and low allergenicity, making them useful for agriculture or crop protection in the industrial and agriculture sectors. Chitin and Chitosan possess several other unique biological features, including anti-cancer, antifungal, immunity-boosting, antioxidant, and secondary metabolic activities. Chitin and Chitosan are both known to have biological properties that are exclusive to them. Therefore, chitin and its deacetylated derivative, which is Chitosan, as well as their derivatives, such as agro nano chemicals, can now be investigated in their nano form as a biodegradable material that can replace compounds that are poisonous and non-biodegradable for crop protection. For crop protection, this chapter summarizes that using chitin and Chitosan, along with their agro nano chemicals, is safe, more accessible, and more environmentally friendly.