Plasticulture Functionalized with Pesticides for Sustainable Crop Protection: A Systematic Review.

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Materials Science
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Crops suffer biotic stress from pests, pathogens, and weeds, leading to heavy reliance on synthetic pesticides and plasticulture.
• Synthetic pesticides pose environmental and health risks, while biopesticides lack stability, and current plasticulture is not fully insect-proof.
• Emerging biopolymer alternatives need enhanced physical properties for effective use in agriculture.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the potential of pesticide-functionalized plastics as a sustainable crop protection strategy.
• To highlight the benefits of integrating biopesticides and biopolymers into plastic materials.
• To identify research gaps and future directions for this innovative approach.

Main Methods:

• Review of current literature on pesticide-functionalized plastics, biopesticides, and biopolymers.
• Analysis of the mechanisms by which functionalized plastics act as physical-chemical barriers.
• Evaluation of reported improvements in polymer properties and pest control efficacy.

Main Results:

• Pesticide-functionalized plastics act as effective physical-chemical barriers, controlling pests at low doses.
• Functionalization enhances pesticide stability, reduces environmental release, and improves polymer properties like hydrophobicity and thermal stability.
• While improving some properties, functionalization may impact the biodegradation rate of the materials.

Conclusions:

• Pesticide-functionalized plastics represent a promising, eco-friendly solution for sustainable crop protection.
• Further research is needed to optimize biopesticide-polymer compatibility, long-term efficacy, and environmental impact assessment.
• Development of fully biobased, biodegradable materials is crucial for advancing this technology and reducing costs.