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Nanotechnologies in Food and Agriculture pp 241–265Cite as

Perspectives in Nanocomposites for the Slow and Controlled Release of Agrochemicals: Fertilizers and Pesticides

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Abstract

Agrochemical represented mainly by fertilizers and pesticides are vital inputs for agricultural production. However, their conventional application in field is poorly effective, with significant losses due mainly to volatilization and/or lixiviation of soluble agrochemicals. In some cases, the application exceeds two times the optimal quantity, meaning that other undesired consequences take part, such as environmental contamination or production of greenhouse gases. A considerable scientific effort has been made to develop viable systems for the controlled or slow delivery of agrochemicals, in order to adjust the nutrient availability in soil to minimal doses required for pest control or to levels needed by plants. Besides other technologies, the association of soluble materials containing fractions of minerals with very high surface area has shown to be an effective way for the optimization of agrochemical application, where the cation-exchange capacity (CEC) of minerals plays an important role. Then, the association of mineral structures (high CEC clays and layered double hydroxides, etc.) opens a new research field in the tailoring of nanocomposites, where the properties of minerals, polymers, and additives that are associated with agrochemicals (considered as the active moiety of the nanocomposites) can produce novel properties to the release control. Therefore, this chapter reviews the underlying principles in controlled or slow release of agrochemicals, the fundamentals of key technologies, and the current perspectives in the production of new materials, comparing their potential with conventional materials regularly produced.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank CNPq, CAPES, FAPESP, FINEP, and Rede Agronano-Embrapa for their financial support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, Federal University of São Carlos, Washington Luiz Highway, km 235, 13565-905, São Carlos, SP, Brazil

    Elaine Inácio Pereira, Amanda Soares Giroto & Adriel Bortolin

  2. Department of Materials Engineering, Federal University of São Carlos, Washington Luiz Highway, km 235, 13565-905, São Carlos, SP, Brazil

    Cintia Fumi Yamamoto

  3. Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation-Instrumentation, Embrapa Instrumentation, 1452 XV de Novembro Street, CP 741, 13560-970, São Carlos, SP, Brazil

    José Manoel Marconcini & Caue Ribeiro

  4. Embrapa Southeast Livestock, Washington Luiz Highway, km 234, 13560-970, São Carlos, SP, Brazil

    Alberto Carlos de Campos Bernardi

Authors
  1. Elaine Inácio Pereira
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  2. Amanda Soares Giroto
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  3. Adriel Bortolin
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  4. Cintia Fumi Yamamoto
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  5. José Manoel Marconcini
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  6. Alberto Carlos de Campos Bernardi
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  7. Caue Ribeiro
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Caue Ribeiro .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biotechnology, SGB Amravati University, Amravati, Maharashtra, India

    Mahendra Rai

  2. Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation-Instrumentation, Embrapa Instrumentation, Sao Carlos, Brazil

    Caue Ribeiro

  3. Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation-Instrumentation, Embrapa Instrumentation, Sao Carlos, Brazil

    Luiz Mattoso

  4. Institute of Chemistry Biological Chemistry Laboratory, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, Brazil

    Nelson Duran

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Pereira, E.I. et al. (2015). Perspectives in Nanocomposites for the Slow and Controlled Release of Agrochemicals: Fertilizers and Pesticides. In: Rai, M., Ribeiro, C., Mattoso, L., Duran, N. (eds) Nanotechnologies in Food and Agriculture. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-14024-7_11

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