Abstract
Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) is a well-known biodegradable bacterial polymer. The polymer is produced by some bacteria under stressed growth conditions. In nature, poly (3-hydroxybutyrate) [P(3HB)] is the most commonly found. Nonetheless, research in PHA has resulted in the production of various copolymers with improved properties and modifications to suit a variety of different applications. Identification of new bacteria strains with the ability to produce novel PHA monomers are still on going. Various cheap and renewable carbon feedstock and growth media have been identified. The production of in PHA in industrial scale fermenters have been fine-tuned using statistical approach. The production efficiency of PHA is still being experimented in order to achieve maximum yield with minimal cost. Among the different applications of PHA, much attention was gained in medical and pharmaceutical fields. This is mainly attributed to the biocompatibility of PHA. However, studies in the application of PHA in agriculture is rather limited. This chapter will survey the efforts of PHA application in agriculture and highlight the successful usage of PHA.
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