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Research published in the Carbohydrate Polymers journal states that the researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology, Mandi (IIT Maendi) have created smart biodegradable microgels in order to make agricultural methods more sustainable and minimize the damaging effect caused by using insecticides and agrochemicals.

As per the officials, modern agriculture depends heavily on applying different agrochemicals such as insecticides, herbicides, and fertilizers on crops in order to meet the need for food for the growing population.

Assistant Professor, School of Chemical Sciences, IIT Mandi, Garima Agrawal, said these agrochemicals are overly used in the fields to repay their loss through leaching, degradation, rainfall, evaporation, dust drift, etc. The regular use of such agrochemicals results in increased costs and generates adverse consequences on the environment, groundwater, soil, and human health.

The research aims to create sustainable farming techniques to minimise the damaging environmental impact of currently prevalent agricultural practices involving the intense use of agrochemicals. When frequently applied to the fields, these chemicals affect the quality of the soil.

These agrochemicals also get rinsed away due to rain and reach the nearby water sources such as lakes, rivers, or streams and contaminate it. The use of biodegradable microgels is a smart delivery approach for fertilizers and insecticides and holds the potential to offer a solution to this issue.

The IIT Mandi researchers team has designed natural polymer-based multi-functional smart microgels for insecticide and nutrient delivery. "These are environment friendly due to their biodegradable and stimuli-responsive quality permitting the sustained discharge of loaded agrochemicals for a lengthier period. These redox-sensitive chitosan-based microgels can release their contents in accordance with the differences in the surrounding environment. These invented microgels are biodegradable, confirming they will break down over time and not spoil the environment.

Developed microgels have outstanding foliar adhesion and are biocompatible. The researchers examined the developed formulation with pea plants, and the results displayed no negative impact on seed germination and plant elongation, therefore, making them an appealing option for agriculture techniques.

In order to test the effectiveness of the microgels, the researchers' team loaded them with a model insecticide and studied their release over time. They discovered that the microgels could release the loaded insecticide over several days, delivering a sustained release that could decrease the need for periodic insecticide applications. The microgels can enhance the uptake of nutrients by plants, indicating that using redox-sensitive chitosan-based microgels could have considerable advantages for sustainable agriculture methods.