Plant-biomass-based hybrid seed wraps mitigate yield and post-harvest losses among smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa.

ABSTRACT: Sustainable practices that reduce food loss are essential for enhancing global food security. We report a 'wrap and plant' seed treatment platform to protect crops from soil-borne pathogens. Developed from the abundantly available wastes of banana harvest and recycled old, corrugated cardboard boxes via chemical-free pulping, these paper-like biodegradable seed wraps exhibit tunable integrity and bioavailability of loaded moieties. These wraps were used for nematode control on yam (Dioscorea cayenensis-rotundata) seed pieces in Benin, a major producer of this staple crop in the sub-Saharan African 'yam belt'. Our seed wraps loaded with ultra-low-volume abamectin (1/100 ≤ commercial formulation) consistently controlled yam nematode (Scutellonema bradys) populations while considerably increa

SUBMITTER: Pirzada T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10154224 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature