Effective Targeted Delivery of Plant Nutrients with Biopolymer Based Nano-capsules

Plant nutrients and their efficient supply is one of the most important goals in worldwide agriculture. The availability of nutrients to the plant through root canalization is limited, with losses which estimated at over 80%. Supplying these nutrients to the plant through its foliage is also limited due a rejection by the cuticle. This is a significant problem that severely affects the agricultural industry and may result economic losses, a need for larger amounts of nutrients, and environmental pollution, as these materials can seep into the groundwater and contaminating them. There is therefore a dire need to develop advanced engineering technologies that will improve the efficiency of the materials supplied for plant uptake at optimal levels. In this research nano-capsules that provide an efficient and controlled delivery of plant nutrients were developed. These capsules were synthesized via a Schiff base reaction between chitosan, an antimicrobial polysaccharide, and a series of bioactive aldehydes. The resulted modified biopolymers self-assemble into nano-scaled structures that have the ability to encapsulate different molecules (both hydrophobic and hydrophilic) and deliver them in both aqueous and organic solvents. These nano-capsules capable for protecting the active nutrients and avoiding undesirable side interactions, shielding the nutrients across their membranal path from the foliage to their plant target sites. In addition to this role, the nano-capsules improve the activity of micro-elements and bio-stimulants by optimizing their efficacy.