The inefficient utilization, rapid environmental dissipation, and potential ecological risks of conventional agrochemicals have intensified the demand for sustainable and precise delivery systems. Lignin, an abundant renewable aromatic polymer from pulping and bio-refinery byproducts, is a promising agrochemical carrier owing to its biodegradability, UV-shielding ability, antioxidant activity, and chemical tunability. This review summarizes the structural foundation, construction strategies, delivery mechanisms, and agricultural applications of lignin-based agrochemical delivery systems. Representative platforms, including nanoparticles, microcapsules, hydrogels, coatings, films and composite or hybrid carriers, are discussed in terms of their structure–performance relationships. Key functions such as improved dispersion, active ingredient protection, sustained release, foliar adhesion, rainfastness, nutrient retention, and reduced leaching are highlighted. Recent progress in lignin-based delivery of insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, fertilizers, and plant growth regulators is reviewed, with particular emphasis on stimuli-responsive release triggered by insect gut conditions, pathogen-associated micro-environments, rhizosphere cues, and soil factors. Finally, current challenges, including lignin heterogeneity, limited release controllability, insufficient field validation, scalable production, and biosafety evaluation, are discussed. This review provides guidance for rationally designing lignin-based carriers and promoting reduced agrochemical input, improved resource efficiency, and circular sustainable agriculture.
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Wu et al. (2026) studied this question.
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