• In agriculture, chitosan has been used in seed, leaf, fruit and vegetable coating
• Increase plant product, to stimulate the immunity of plants
• Protect plants against microorganisms and to stimulate plant growth. In the latter studies, a positive effect of chitosan was observed on the growth of roots, shoots andleaves of various plants including Gerbera.
• Chitosan is emerging as a potential agent used in enhancing defense mechanism of plant, as growth promoter, as antimicrobial agent,
as a soil conditioner.
• Chitosan is used as carrier for improving nutrient delivery, increasing water use efficiency and as absorbent of heavy metals.
• Chitosan enhances rice seedling growth via gene expression network between nucleus and chloroplast. Combination of chitosan and plant growth promoting rhizobacteria can be used as biofertilizers to improve the maize production .
• Enhances phytochemical levels, enzymatic and antioxidant activity of spinach leaves by chitosan treatment.
• Delayed wilting of alfalfa plant by 6-10 days improves stress tolerant trait of plant.
• Seed coating material for cereals, nuts, fruits and vegetables.
• Increasing the concentrations of sugars and proline, and enhances peroxidise (POD), catalase (CAT), phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) and tyrosine ammonia-lyase (TAL) activities.
• Seed soaked with chitosan had increased the energy of germination, germination percentage, lipase activity, and gibberellic acid (GA3) and indole acetic acid (IAA) levels in peanut.
• Seed priming in maize increases chilling tolerance. Priming with chitosan reduced the relative permeability of the plasma membranes of the maize under low temperature leads to less damage from low temperature stress .
• Soil amendment with chitosan has repeatedly been shown to control fungal diseases in numerous crops, especially Fusarium wilts and grey mould.
• Post harvest treatment Chitosan coating has ability to modify internal atmosphere in the tissue and fungistatic property has a potential to prolong storage life and control decay of fruits.
• In fruits and vegetables, chitosan provides more firmness and it promotes diminution of the normal microbiological charge . Increasing the product life.
• Nutrient delivery carrier Chitosan act as a carrier enhancing slow release behaviour of fertilizer, prevent leaching, fixation losses due to rapid mobility, high solubility.
• Heavy metal remediation in soil- Chitosan is proved to have the best chelating properties among other natural polymers as soil conditioner.
• Waste water treatment Chitosan can be used as an adsorbent to remove heavy metals and dyes due to the presence of amino and hydroxyl groups, which can serve as the active binding sites in waste water.
• Wood Vinegar is an organic product with a potential for being biopesticide and biofertilizer.
• Spraying diluted wood vinegar on plant leaves increases their vitality and improves crop quality.
• Spraying also helps control harmful insects and some kinds of plant diseases.
• Wood vinegar and agricultural chemicals are complementary. The efficacy of using them together is greater than using either one alone.
• If wood vinegar is applied to the soil or mixed into it in high concentrations, it inhibits eelworms and soil diseases. In low concentrations or while it is in the process of being broken down in the soil it increases the quantity of useful microbes.
• Wood vinegar helps plants develop stronger roots.
• Mixing wood vinegar with manure reduces odours and facilitates composting.
• Wood vinegar makes plants take root more firmly, helps leaves grow larger and fuller, counteracts excessive nitrogen, stimulated the metabolism of plants and raises sugarlevels.
• Boost both nutrient efficiency and organic matter content in the soil
• Nurture the soil with organic matter that reduces dependency on chemical inputs
• Restore and maintain soil fertility to nurture plant growth
• Enhance the biological activity and biodiversity of soils
• Enhance the quality attributes of produce as well as yield
• Improve the efficiency of nutrient use to produce more robust crops
• Facilitate the slow release of nutrients in response to the dynamic needs of plants
• Boost the efficiency of water use to render crops more resilient and drought-resistant
• Reduce the impact of farming and safeguard ecosystems by minimizing leaching.
• Enhance crop resistance to erosion by improving the soil’s organic matter content.
• Improve the efficiency of resource use by incorporating natural raw materials.
• Organic fertilizers reduce acidity in the soil and do not cause leaching.
• They do not kill beneficial microorganisms in the soil.
• Organic fertilizers also help improve the structure of the soil including the circulation
of air, which sustains beneficial microorganisms that help release nutrients to the
soil.
The major nutrient that crops such as maize require is nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and
potassium (K). Apart from these, growing crops also require micro-nutrients such as copper
(Cu), manganese (Mn), magnesium (Mg), iron (Fe), calcium (Ca) and sulphur (S).