Articles
Chitosan: a complex substance with great potential for global integrated pest management and for reducing farmers dependence on synthetic fungicides
Article number
1378_19
Pages
143 – 150
Language
English
Abstract
Due to its numerous biological properties, its absence of toxicity and its biodegradability, chitosan is well studied and already used in various fields of application such as nutraceuticals, water treatment and plant protection.
The interest of chitosan in agriculture, and more particularly in crop protection, has been known for decades and has allowed it to obtain the status of basic substance in Europe.
Despite its strong potential as tool for reducing the use of pesticides, its development has been hindered by its complex nature and a lack of knowledge on the parameters influencing its biological efficacy.
The knowledge obtained in recent years on the structure-activity relationship of chitosan as well as the technological advances that have taken place at the same time have allowed the industrial development of new well-characterized chitosans called second generation and consequently the emergence of new chitosan-based products specifically designed for their application in agriculture.
Thanks to an optimized composition and a controlled inter-batch reproducibility, these natural products have demonstrated interesting and repeatable efficacies and therefore represent promising solutions in the objective of reducing the use of pesticides, in a strategy of integrated pest management (IPM).
The interest of chitosan in agriculture, and more particularly in crop protection, has been known for decades and has allowed it to obtain the status of basic substance in Europe.
Despite its strong potential as tool for reducing the use of pesticides, its development has been hindered by its complex nature and a lack of knowledge on the parameters influencing its biological efficacy.
The knowledge obtained in recent years on the structure-activity relationship of chitosan as well as the technological advances that have taken place at the same time have allowed the industrial development of new well-characterized chitosans called second generation and consequently the emergence of new chitosan-based products specifically designed for their application in agriculture.
Thanks to an optimized composition and a controlled inter-batch reproducibility, these natural products have demonstrated interesting and repeatable efficacies and therefore represent promising solutions in the objective of reducing the use of pesticides, in a strategy of integrated pest management (IPM).
Authors
J. Henry, E. Pajot
Keywords
chitosan, biocontrol, IPM, natural polysaccharide, circular economy
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