Recent progress on nanoemulsions mediated pesticides delivery: Insights for agricultural sustainability

Abstract

Nature friendly and sustainable practices have been the prominent aspects reviving the modern agricultural practices. Development of broad spectrum insecticides with the minimal use, maximum efficacy and least environmental deterioration are swiftly emerging as reliable measures. Analogous to drug delivery in animal and human cells, nanocarriers are swiftly emerging as biocompatible and nature friendly aids for pesticide delivery to the agricultural crops. These practices manifest a higher importance for the agriculturally intensive global economies, wherein substantial livelihood means are eventually dependent on agriculture. Amicably transcended from the extraordinary investigational success for drug delivery, trafficking of pesticides through nanoemulsions has emerged as a boost to safeguard the environment and aquatic habitats in particular. The nanoemulsions, with the option of varying surfactant and co-surfactants, engineer the slow release of pesticides which could be targeted for the pest specific elimination. The outcomes have already eased the farmer’s economy besides significantly moderating the toxicity. The threat to soil and surrounding water bodies has been the most significant, wherein almost 90% of the unaided pesticide used to run off as excessive chemical load in the soils or water bodies. The constitutional robustness of emulsions with varied hydrophilic-lipophilic balances and surfactant-co-surfactant stoichiometries have been the distinguishing aspect for the pesticide delivery to the crops. With such insights, this review article focuses on emulsification, the distinguishing working principles, physicochemical characterization driven performance control parameters and finally a discussion of past five year attempts encompassing nanocarrier mediated pesticide delivery for sustainable agriculture and reduced environmental stress.