Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
11.4 Conclusions and Perspectives
Studies on novel technologies for the production of composites intended for slow or
controlled release of agrochemicals have been enormously disseminated. More
effective applications of agrochemicals through composite materials are desired
because they can reduce possible economic losses and principally environmental
damage. However, more studies are still necessary to find the best materials to
formulate highly efficient carrier composites and create cost-effective routes of
preparation because the use of composite materials is still limited by the additional
cost derived from the manufacturing process, which increases the final product cost
and, consequently, the cost of crop production, and to establish improvements in the
obtained material properties through a comparison of different modified com-
pounds, depending on the application, as fertilizer or pesticides. Another point to
be emphasized is related to the application of biodegradable carrier matrixes only.
Any alternative to rationalize the application of agricultural inputs should not
become a new environmental or economic problem. Therefore there is the need
to incorporate or produce new compound, which, after use, can be easily
biodegraded or incorporated into the soil.
Acknowledgments The authors thank CNPq, CAPES, FAPESP, FINEP, and Rede Agronano-
Embrapa for their financial support.
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