The rise in the World’s food demand in line with the increase of the global population has resulted in calls for more research on the production of sustainable food and sustainable agriculture. A natural biopolymer, chitosan, coupled with nanotechnology could offer a sustainable alternative to the use of conventional agrochemicals towards a safer agriculture industry. Here, we review the potential of chitosan-based agronanochemicals as a sustainable alternative in crop protection against pests, diseases as well as plant growth promoters. Such effort offers better alternatives: (1) the existing agricultural active ingredients can be encapsulated into chitosan nanocarriers for the formation of potent biocides against plant pathogens and pests; (2) the controlled release properties and high bioavailability of the nanoformulations help in minimizing the wastage and leaching of the agrochemicals’ active ingredients; (3) the small size, in the nanometer regime, enhances the penetration on the plant cell wall and cuticle, which in turn increases the argochemical uptake; (4) the encapsulation of agrochemicals in chitosan nanocarriers shields the toxic effect of the free agrochemicals on the plant, cells and DNA, thus, minimizing the negative impacts of agrochemical active ingredients on human health and environmental wellness. In addition, this article also briefly reviews the mechanism of action of chitosan against pathogens and the elicitations of plant immunity and defense response activities of chitosan-treated plants.

中文翻译：

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基于壳聚糖的农用化学品作为作物保护的可持续替代品


随着全球人口的增长，世界粮食需求不断增加，人们呼吁对可持续粮食生产和可持续农业进行更多研究。天然生物聚合物壳聚糖与纳米技术相结合，可以为传统农用化学品的使用提供可持续的替代方案，从而实现更安全的农业产业。在这里，我们回顾了基于壳聚糖的农用化学品作为作物保护免受害虫、疾病以及植物生长促进剂的可持续替代品的潜力。这些努力提供了更好的替代方案：（1）可以将现有的农业活性成分封装到壳聚糖纳米载体中，形成针对植物病原体和害虫的有效杀菌剂； (2)纳米制剂的控释特性和高生物利用度有助于最大限度地减少农用化学品活性成分的浪费和浸出； (3) 纳米级的小尺寸增强了对植物细胞壁和角质层的渗透，从而增加了农业化学品的吸收； (4)将农用化学品封装在壳聚糖纳米载体中，屏蔽了游离农用化学品对植物、细胞和DNA的毒性作用，从而最大限度地减少了农用化学品活性成分对人类健康和环境健康的负面影响。此外，本文还简要综述了壳聚糖对抗病原菌的作用机制以及壳聚糖处理植物的植物免疫和防御反应活性的引发。