ABSTRACT
Chemical pesticides are widely used in agriculture to combat diseases, but their environmental and human health effects have been controversially debated. As a nontoxic, biodegradable polymer with several uses in agriculture and biomedicine, chitosan has grown in importance. As a potential tool for combating plant disease and improving soil fertility and nutrient availability, nanoparticles in agriculture have attracted considerable interest. Nanoparticles can act as emerging therapeutics owing to their versatile physical and chemical properties. In agriculture, chitosan is being studied as a new type of smart material, particularly for plant protection, among the existing nanomaterials. Researchers have used chitosan-based nanoparticles in a number of products to improve their effectiveness and biocompatibility since nanotechnology has emerged as a promising area. Chitosan nanoparticles were also employed in a range of applications because of their inherent antibacterial and chelating characteristics, as well as the availability of functional groups that could be modified. However, the exact mechanism of chitosan nanoparticles’ activity against pathogens needs yet to be elucidated. Chitosan-based nanomaterials are covered in this chapter with some insights into the potential mechanisms of action in the control of plant diseases. The aim of the present chapter is to focus on the role of chitosan nanoparticles in the treatment of severe emerging pathogen infections. Overall, chitosan-based nanoparticles have potential properties for environmentally friendly agricultural practices and efficient phytopathogen control strategy.
