About Book

An agrochemical is any substance used to help manage an agricultural ecosystem, or the community of organisms in a farming area. Agrochemicals include: fertilizers, liming and acidifying agents, soil conditioners, pesticides, and chemicals used in animal husbandry, such as antibiotics and hormones. The use of agrochemicals has been critical to the raising crop for food. However, some of these chemicals cause substantial environmental and ecological damage, greatly reducing their benefits. Various agrochemicals are given to livestock. Agrochemicals (mainly pesticides and fertilizers) represent an important tool to support and improve crop industry, agriculture technologies and livestock. In fact, an optimized use of such compounds along with correct methods and application ensure an increase in crop production, thus reducing costs. This book provides comprehensive insights into the field of agrochemical. It outlines the processes and applications of the subject in detail. It talks about various topics such as nanoparticle-based insecticides, environmental risk assessment, agrochemical properties, semiochemicals, agrochemical dependency, biorefinery chemicals and phytochemical quality. The topic covered in this extensive book deal with the core subject of agrochemical. Coherent flow of topics, student-friendly language and extensive use of examples make this book an invaluable source of knowledge. As this field is emerging at a rapid pace, the contents of this book will help the readers understand the modern concepts and applications of the subject. For all those who are interested in this subject, the book can prove to be an essential guide.

Preface............................................................................................................ v

Chapter 1 Agronomic Factors Influencing Brassica Productivity and

Phytochemical Quality...............................................................................1

Abstract...................................................................................................1

1. Introduction............................................................................................1

2. Agronomic factors and production...................................................4

3. Brassicas’ phytochemical composition..............................................8

4. Conclusion............................................................................................13

Acknowledgements.............................................................................14

Conflict of interest..............................................................................14

Chapter 2 Environmental Risk Assessment of Agrochemicals — A Critical

Appraisal of Current Approaches.........................................................22

Abstract.................................................................................................22

1. Introduction..........................................................................................23

2. Types of risk assessment...................................................................25

3. Framework for ecological risk assessment....................................25

4. The weight-of-evidence approach....................................................28

5. Toxicity assessment.............................................................................29

6. Exposure assessment..........................................................................33

7. Risk assessment: First tier.................................................................36

8. Risk assessment: Second tier............................................................42

9. Risk management................................................................................49

10. Conclusions..........................................................................................50

Chapter 3 Polymeric Nanoparticle-Based Insecticides: A Controlled Release

Purpose for Agrochemicals.....................................................................67

1. Introduction ........................................................................................67

2. Application of insecticides nanoformulations ..............................69

3. Developing new nanopesticides .....................................................76

4. Conclusion ...........................................................................................87

Acknowledgments .............................................................................88

Chapter 4 Sustainable Materials and Biorefinery Chemicals from

Agriwastes.................................................................................................100

1. Introduction ......................................................................................100

2. Production of sustainable p-cymene and hydrogen .................102

3. Sustainable fine chemicals from agri wastes .............................115

4. The use of agricultural residues to improve the textural

characteristics of structured solids to decontaminate

effluents .............................................................................................126

5. Preparation of renewable biocompatible scaffolds for bone

replacement therapy ........................................................................130

6. Conclusions .......................................................................................136

Chapter 5 Chemical Defenses in Eucalyptus Species: A Sustainable Strategy

Based on Antique Knowledge to Diminish Agrochemical

Dependency ............................................................................................142

1. Introduction ......................................................................................142

2. Eucalypts ...........................................................................................144

3. Plants natural defenses ...................................................................148

4. Allelochemicals production ...........................................................153

5. Ecological significance of natural defenses of plants ...............158

6. Potential uses ....................................................................................161

Chapter 6 Manipulation of Natural Enemies in Agroecosystems: Habitat and

Semiochemicals for Sustainable Insect Pest Control ...................185

1. Introduction ......................................................................................185

2. Vegetational diversity .....................................................................185

3. Semiochemical-based manipulation .............................................195

4. Conclusion .........................................................................................210

5. Acknowledgment .............................................................................213

Chapter 7 The Effect of Sustainable and Organic Farming Systems on the

Balance of Biogenic Elements and Changes of Agrochemical

Properties in Gleyic Cambisol............................................................237

1. Introduction ......................................................................................237

2. Experimental design and field management .............................239

3. Results and discussion ...................................................................241

4. Summary and conclusion ..............................................................255

Citation......................................................................................................259

Index...........................................................................................................261

About Author

Gloria N obtained her Ph.D. in Agricultural Biotechnology from Public State University, Naples. She is a Research Associate at University College, Brussels. Her research areas are in fertilizers, pesticides including insecticides, herbicides, fungicides and nematicides. She has written dozens of articles and research papers related to algaecides, horticulture, plant science and crop production. Gloria consistently shares her knowledge with the student fraternity by organizing lectures and conferences around the globe.