Exploring the Role of Chitosan: A Natural Solution for Plant Disease and Insect Management
Rajkumari Padamini *
Plant Protection, MTTC VTC College of Community Science, Central Agricultural University, Imphal, India.
Pukhram Bhumita
Department of Entomology College of Agriculture Central Agricultural University, Imphal, India.
Sanjay Hazarika
Department of Entomology, Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat-785013, Assam, India.
Ramesha NM
Division of Entomology, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi-110012, India.
G R Vishwas Gowda
Department of Plant Pathology College of Agriculture, Dharwad University of Agricultural Sciences Dharwad, India.
Kushal Chaturvedi
Department of Entomology Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology, Meerut, India.
Chandan Kumar Panigrahi
Department of Entomology Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Siksha 'O' Anusandhan, Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar - 751003, Odisha, India.
Rajshree Karanwal
Plant Pathology, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology, Meerut. 250110, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Chitosan is an eco-friendly and multipurpose biopolymer that is obtained from the deacetylation of chitin. It is a polysaccharide with several uses. Chitosan is a useful option in phytopathology because of its biocompatibility, biodegradability, and bioactivity. Two naturally occurring substances that may be used in agriculture to manage plant diseases are chitin and chitosan. It was found that these compounds are toxic and that they prevent the growth and development of fungi. According to reports, they were effective against viruses, bacteria, and other pests. When host plants are exposed to microbial infections, fragments of chitin and chitosan have been shown to elicit activities that trigger a range of defence responses, such as the accumulation of phytoalexins, pathogen-related (PR) proteins and proteinase inhibitors, lignin synthesis, and callose formation. Thus, the goal of this study is to give the reader current knowledge about the use of chitosan formulations as pest and diseases control tools as well as information about their potential uses.
Keywords: Chitosan formulations, chitosan nanoparticles, plant protection, biological control