Rice is the staple food of more than half of the world’s population, which is still growing. The great dependence that agriculture, and rice specially, has on fertilizers alongside extreme events that result from climatic change creates an urge for adaptation. Fertilizers are expensive, finite and a potential environmental problem. Their precise application, by the use of slow-release nanofertilizers, thus avoiding losses and consequently reducing the pressure on water resources, is one step forward in this adaptation. It can reduce costs and protect the environment while ensuring food production. Phosphorous is very important for rice, since it is involved in its flowering and root development, and its low availability to the plants constitutes a serious problem. The delivery of phosphorous through the crop cycle in the form of slow-release phosphorus nanofertilizer (Pnf) instead of the conventional annual bulk application reduces the amount of nutrients applied and increases the absorption by the crop. Combining the fertilizing effect with the use of natural stimulant compounds such as chitosan can protect the crop from diseases and increase its resilience to stress. The use of Pnf reduces the pressure on water resources and avoids imbalances in soil nutrients, thus responding to climatic change challenges and abiotic stresses.

Agriculture is considered a significant climate change (CC) driver due to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the loss of fertilizers that contribute to water eutrophication. On the other hand, climate change effects are already impacting agriculture, endangering food security. This paper explores the dichotomies of the effects of agriculture on CC as well as of CC on agriculture, focusing on the contribution that nanofertilizers can bring to this complex system in both directions. The strategies to reduce CC while adapting and mitigating its effects must be a global effort. It is not possible to focus only on the reduction in GHG emissions to stop the effects that are already being felt worldwide. Nanofertilizers, especially slow- and controlled-release nanofertilizers, can reduce the nutrient input and also boost productivity while mitigating some CC effects, such as soil nutrient imbalance and agricultural emissions. As so, this review highlights the benefits of nanofertilizers and their role as a part of the strategy to reduce the reach of CC and mitigate its ever-growing effects, and presents some guidelines for the increased use of these materials in order to enhance their efficacy in this strategy.

After being used as soil cover, polyethylene film is burned with the cultural remains or incorporated into the soil, since its removal from the field entails labor costs. An alternative to avoid this problem is to replace the polyethylene with bioplastic, because after use the bioplastic can be incorporated into the soil. This study therefore evaluated the biodegradability of polyethylene and bioplastic in soil by means of mass loss, C-CO2 release and bacterial counting. In order to estimate the loss of mass, polyethylene and bioplastic samples were placed in nylon bags (2 mm) and buried at 0.20 m depth of soil and the films were periodically weighed (30, 60, 90 and 120 days) to evaluate the loss Of mass. The C-CO2 emissions and the bacterial colony forming unit count were determined in soil samples incubated with polyethylene, bioplastic and cellulose. The biodegradation of the bioplastic estimated by the loss of mass was 37% and of the polyethylene was 1.2%. The release of C‑CO2 and the number of bacteria were higher in the soils incubated with cellulose and bioplastic.

ISHS III International Symposium on Horticulture in Europe - SHE2016 The role of mulching materials on Lactuca sativa production - Brazil case study