Nanomaterials and nanotechnology for the delivery of agrochemicals: strategies towards sustainable agriculture

Abstract

Nanomaterials (NMs) have received considerable attention in the field of agrochemicals due to their special properties, such as small particle size, surface structure, solubility and chemical composition. The application of NMs and nanotechnology in agrochemicals dramatically overcomes the defects of conventional agrochemicals, including low bioavailability, easy photolysis, and organic solvent pollution, etc. In this review, we describe advances in the application of NMs in chemical pesticides and fertilizers, which are the two earliest and most researched areas of NMs in agrochemicals. Besides, this article concerns with the new applications of NMs in other agrochemicals, such as bio-pesticides, nucleic acid pesticides, plant growth regulators (PGRs), and pheromone. We also discuss challenges and the industrialization trend of NMs in the field of agrochemicals. Constructing nano-agrochemical delivery system via NMs and nanotechnology facilitates the improvement of the stability and dispersion of active ingredients, promotes the precise delivery of agrochemicals, reduces residual pollution and decreases labor cost in different application scenarios, which is potential to maintain the sustainability of agricultural systems and improve food security by increasing the efficacy of agricultural inputs.

Keywords: Agrochemicals; Nanoformulations; Nanomaterials; Nanotechnology; Sustainable agriculture.

Fig. 1

Nanomaterials loaded with various agrochemicals. Multiple release modes of active ingredients by modulating the structure of the loading system (Particle, Fiber, Layered system, Porous based, Capsule, Emulsion). The small size effect and large specific surface area of nanoparticles can adhere to the target as much as possible to improve the bioavailability of active ingredients

Fig. 2

Nanomaterials loaded with pesticides. NMs loaded with pesticides can reduce the degradation of AIs caused by environmental influences, achieve target-controlled release of AIs by the properties of nanomaterials, thus prolonging the shelf life of pesticides; Some NMs have their own insecticidal and fungicidal activities; When applied to soil, NMs help pesticides to be fixed in the soil for plant root absorption in order to reduce the loss of pesticides by leaching

Fig. 3

Nanomaterials loaded with fertilizers. Nanomaterial loading of fertilizer. Loading fertilizer with nanomaterials can achieve slow release of fertilizer and improve fertilizer utilization, thus reducing the environmental problems caused by fertilizer loss. In soil, fertilizers were fixed by NMs to facilitate plant roots absorption, reduce the leaching loss of fertilizer, and minimize the pollution of groundwater

Fig. 4

Nanomaterial-mediated nucleic acid pesticides system. NMs protect nucleic acids, reduce degradation and help them enter the cell of target pests. Then, the RNAi program is initiated to interfere with the normal transcriptional pathway of the target and achieve the effective control of the pests

Fig. 5

Nanomaterial loaded pheromone. Traditional pheromones products are unstable and easy to volatilize, resulting in short shelf life and unsatisfactory "Attract-and-kill" effect; Nanomaterial-loaded pheromones with environment friendly properties can realize slow-release, protect from decomposition under ambient conditions, and show excellent efficacy in the open orchard