Advanced Materials for Research and the Agri-food sector

MD PLAST is involved in the MAReA project for the development of biodegradable formulations for primary plant products capable of releasing phytotherapeutic products. To ensure the systematic nature of the project results, MD PLAST S.p.A collaborates synergistically with two very important partners: CRA (Council for Research and Experimentation in Agriculture) and CNR (National Research Council). A material can be defined as “biodegradable” if all its organic components are subject to degradation processes induced by a biological system, either naturally or metabolically. This is an excellent advantage given that one of the major problems of traditional plastic materials derives from the fact that the final products are naturally indestructible and difficult to dispose of. In an initial research phase, the biodegradable polymers to be used were selected. The chosen biopolymers derive from corn starch, a resource renewable from year to year, which, unlike trees, is grown and harvested in the same season. In a second phase, the study was aimed at identifying the substances of natural origin to be incorporated into the polymeric matrix of the biodegradable material. Particular phytosanitary aids such as pheromones, repellents and biological control agents were then studied to obtain formulations for use in low-input cultivation.