## 2 Metal-Organic Frameworks
This material was used for the controlled release of the active substance cis-1,3-dichloroproprene (1,3-DCPP) [70]. Beyond the gradual and slow-release rate of the active substance, the biodegradable nature of the material played a crucial role in its application, making it efficient and environmentally friendly, turning the research community's attention towards materials with these characteristics. Recent literature has a plethora of interesting MOF-agrochemicals hybrids for the prevention and treatment of different pathogens such as: (i) fungicides: diniconazole [71], prochloroza [72], tebuoconazole, and zoxystrobin [73; 74]; (ii) insecticides: chlorantraniliprole [75], \(\lambda\)-cylalothrin [76], dinotefuran [77], imidalcoprid [78], and thiamethoxam; (iii) fertilizers: urea; and (iv) plant growth regulators: gibberellin [67]. Apart from their direct applications in the field, MOFs are also starting to be employed in various areas related to food quality preservation (Figure 1), with examples regarding the extension of shelf life of fresh-cut fruits and vegetables, as it will also be presented in this work. Also, they are related to applications which are contributing to healthier soil and water conditions that indirectly enhance crop quality as it is presented in the following examples. MOFs like HKUST-1 and ZIF-67 were found to be highly efficient for the removal of organic dyes through electrostatic and \(\pi\)-\(\pi\) interactions [43; 80; 81]. More specifically magnetic hybrids of HKUST-1, MnFe\({}_{2}\)O\({}_{4}\)-NH\({}_{2}\)-HKUST-1 [82; 83; 84] were found remarkably productive for the removal of dyes found in industrial pollutants. In this work, it is presented that the hybrid magnetic HKUST-1 exhibits adsorption capacities of 108.69 mg/g for malachite green (MG), 70.42 mg/g for crystal violet (CV), and 156.25 mg/g for methylene blue (MB) [83; 84]. Optimal dye removal--exceeding 75%--was achieved under specific conditions: pH levels of 5.5 for MG, 5 for CV, and 7 for MB; contact time of 5 min; and adsorbent dosages of 10 mg, 5.5 mg, and 1 mg, respec  
Figure 1: Examples of the most common MOFs used in agriculture and agrifood according to the literature [79]. Adapted with permission from Ref. [79] ©Elsevier 2021.  
due to its magnetic nature the adsorbent can be quickly and easily retrieved from the solution using an external magnet, thus eliminating the need for more labor-intensive separation methods like centrifugation [81] Furthermore, ZIF-67 has been also found relatively effective for the removal of dyes, especially anionic ones along with pharmaceuticals and other organic molecules [43]. Actually ZIF-67 has been tested for the removal of a plethora of dyes, both anionic and cationic ones, such as Methyl Orange [80; 85], Acid Orange-7 [86], Amaranth dye [87], Congo Red [88], Direct Blue-86 [89], Malachite Green [90], and Brilliant Green [91]. A magnetic ZIF-67 (Fe\({}_{3}\)O\({}_{4}\)-PSS@ZIF-67) has been established for the removal of Methylene Orange [80] from MB. This specific hybrid presented a 92% removal rate and 96% separation efficiency [85]. Also, pristine ZIF-67 presents among the highest removal capacities for acid orange at 738 mg/g at pH = 8 compared to ZIF-8, UiO-66 and UiO-66-NH\({}_{2}\)[86]. The same MOF, presents also an excellent adsorption capacity for Congo Red at 714.3 mg/g at 301 K [92]. A similar behavior is recorded also for cationic dyes. For example ZIF-67 presents better performance that conventional adsorbents in the case of MG, with an adsorption capacity at 2430 mg/g [90]. Also, Zr-MOFs, as BUT-12 [93] and PCN-224 [94] and Cu-MOFs, like HKUST-1 [95], demonstrate high adsorption capacities for antibiotics, addressing the critical issue of antibiotic contamination in agricultural wastewater. BUT-12 exhibits a high adsorption capacity for the antibiotics nitrofurazone (NZF) and nitrofurantoin (NFT), whereas BUT-13 demonstrates rapid adsorption for NZF, NFT, oxazolidinone (ODZ), sulfonamide (SAM), and chloramphenicol (CAP).