Study on the function and mechanism of chitin nanofibers from prawn shells on agricultural products in Bangladesh

The project entitled “Study on the Function and Mechanism of Chitin Nanofibers from Prawn Shells on Agricultural Products in Bangladesh” was funded by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) under the KAKENHI Promotion of Joint International Research program and was completed in December 2025. Rice is a staple food for nearly half of the global population, and its production largely depends on urea fertilization. However, the extensive use of urea often leads to nitrogen losses and environmental pollution. This project aimed to develop nitrogen-rich chitin-based nanomaterials from shrimp shells and evaluate their potential as a sustainable alternative nutrient source for rice cultivation. Chitin nanofibers (ChNF), with widths ranging from 10–30 nm, were successfully isolated from shrimp shells through chemical pretreatment followed by mechanical fibrillation. Pot-grown rice plants were treated with different concentrations of ChNF and urea in a completely randomized design with five replicates to examine their effects on plant growth and yield. The results demonstrated that ChNF treatment produced plant height (97.33 ± 1.53 cm), tiller number (17.67 ± 1.15 hill⁻¹), and straw yield (30.40 ± 1.93 g hill⁻¹) comparable to those obtained with conventional urea fertilization. Grain yield under urea treatment (22.70 g hill⁻¹) was nearly identical to that achieved with 0.01% ChNF (22.22 g hill⁻¹). This performance was associated with increased nitrate- and ammonium-nitrogen availability, reduced nitrogen loss, and enhanced microbial activity in the soil. Overall, the findings suggest that shrimp-derived chitin nanofibers represent a promising functional nanomaterial that could partially or fully replace urea, supporting more sustainable and environmentally friendly rice production systems.

• Research Project