Malka Eyal, Margel Shlomo
Bar-Ilan Institute of Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials (BINA), Department of Chemistry, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 5290002, Israel.
Gels. 2023 Nov 12;9(11):895. doi: 10.3390/gels9110895.
Hydrogels have gained significant popularity in agricultural applications in terms of minimizing waste and mitigating the negative environmental impact of agrochemicals. This review specifically examines the utilization of environmentally friendly, shapable hydrogels composed of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) in various casings for crop protection against different pests, fertilizing, and watering. To activate their effectiveness, PVA/PVP hydrogels were loaded with both hydrophilic and hydrophobic environmentally friendly pesticides, namely hydrogen peroxide (HP), the essential oil thymol, and urea as a fertilizer, either separately or in combination. This review covers various physical and chemical approaches used for loading, shaping, and controlling the release profiles of pesticides and fertilizers. Additionally, it explores the evaluation of the chemical composition, structure, classification, rheology, and morphology of the hydrogels as well as their impact on the thermal stability of the encapsulated pesticides and fertilizer, followed by biological tests. These hydrogels significantly contribute to the stabilization and controlled release of essential nutrients and biocides for plants, while maintaining excellent biocidal and fertilizing properties as well as sustainability characteristics. By shedding light on the latest insights into the concepts, applications, and results of these hydrogels, this review demonstrates their immense potential for widespread future use in agriculture.
水凝胶在农业应用中越来越受欢迎，因为它们能将浪费降至最低，并减轻农用化学品对环境的负面影响。本综述特别研究了由聚乙烯醇（PVA）和聚乙烯吡咯烷酮（PVP）组成的环保型、可成型水凝胶在各种作物保护套管中的应用，用于抵御不同害虫、施肥和浇水。为了激活其有效性，PVA/PVP水凝胶分别或组合负载了亲水性和疏水性环保农药，即过氧化氢（HP）、香芹酚精油和作为肥料的尿素。本综述涵盖了用于负载、成型和控制农药及肥料释放曲线的各种物理和化学方法。此外，还探讨了对水凝胶的化学成分、结构、分类、流变学和形态的评估，以及它们对封装的农药和肥料热稳定性的影响，随后进行了生物学测试。这些水凝胶显著有助于植物必需营养物质和杀生物剂的稳定和控释，同时保持优异的杀生物和施肥性能以及可持续性特征。通过揭示这些水凝胶的概念、应用和结果的最新见解，本综述展示了它们在未来农业广泛应用中的巨大潜力。
