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ABSTRACT

Nanotechnology keeps track on one of the most important agricultural management processes, due to its small size. Numerous potential profits make nanotechnology a resonant encumbrance. Feasibility, susceptibility, human health, and a healthy existence are all difficulties that agriculture, food nourishment, and natural resources face. In agriculture, nan-oparticles aim to lessen the chemicals amount spread, reduce nutrient loss through fertilization and boost output through insect and nutrient management. The nanotechnology has the ability to benefit the agriculture and food industries by developing revolutionary Nano tools for disease management, nutrient absorption capacity, and other applications. Specific applications such as Nano fertilizers and Nano pesticides to string products and nutrients levels to increase productivity without decontaminating and protection against several insect pests and diseases are among the significant interests of using nanotechnology in agriculture.

Keywords: Nano-particles, agriculture, fertilizers, nutrients, 

Nanotechnology in agriculture has gained a lot of traction in the recent decade thanks to a lot of government financing, but the stage of development is still good, even though many approaches have fallen under the agricultural umbrella. This may be due to the unique character of agricultural production, which operates as an open system in which energy and materials are freely transferred. Nanotechnology offers new agrochemical agents and delivery systems to boost crop output while also lowering pesticide usage (Ghidan et al., 2019; Pramanik et al., 2020)

Nanotechnology offers new agrochemical agents and delivery systems to boost crop output while also lowering pesticide usage. Nanotechnology can increase agricultural production, and its applications include:

1)    Nano-formulations of agrochemicals for applying pesticides and fertilisers for crop improvement;

2)    The application of nano-sensors in crop protection for the identification of diseases and residues of agrochemicals;

3)    Nano-devices for the genetic engineering of plants;

4)    Plant disease diagnostics;

5)    Animal health, animal breeding, poultry production; and

6)    Postharvest management.

Nanomaterials in agriculture are being used to reduce plant protection product spraying and boost plant yields. Nanotechnology includes things like nano-capsules and nano-particles, which can be used to detect and cure diseases. Plant breeding and genetic transformations are two other fields where nanotechnology-derived devices are being investigated. The strength of nanotechnology in agriculture is enormous, but there are still a few difficulties to be resolved, such as risk assessment. Some nano-particle attractants are made from biopolymers such as proteins and carbohydrates, which have a negligible impact on wellbeing and the environment. Nanotechnology has numerous applications in agricultural product production, processing, storage, packaging, and transportation. Nanotechnology will change agriculture and the food sector, for example, by improving the ability of plants to absorb nutrients, detecting disease, and controlling pests (Prasad et al. 2017).

 Nanotechnology in Pesticides and Fertilizers

Agriculture that is both sustainable and profitable is required these days. It can be interpreted as presenting a long-term ecosystem strategy. Excessive soil tilth leads to erosion, and irrigation without proper drainage are two practices that might harm soil in the long run. Salinization will result as a result of this. This is to meet the demands of humans for food, animal feed, and fiber.

Nano-materials that operate as fertilizers may have qualities like crop improvement and reduced environmental toxicity. Plants can provide an important pathway for the bioaccumulation of contaminants into the food chain. The use of NPs for more efficacious and safe chemical use in plants has been a recent development in agriculture.

 

A.    Control of pests

Different physical and chemical processes were used to create nano-materials such as copper oxide (CuONPs), zinc oxide (ZnONPs), magnesium hydroxide (MgOHNPs), and magnesium oxide (MgONPs). With the growing need to reduce the usage of environmentally hazardous compounds such as insecticides, biosynthesis of nano-particles embellishes a hot topic at the confluence of nanotechnology and biotechnology. Plants have been discovered to have a significantly quicker rate of metal ion reduction than microbes, and stable nano-particle production has been documented.

Fusarium wilt is a devastating disorder of tomato and lettuce in numerous regions due to substantial production losses, fungus survival in the soil for long periods, and the creation of resistant races. Along with the use of resistant cultivars and pesticides, the disease can be minimized to some extent. However, the emergence and development of new pathogenic races is a persistent issue, and chemical treatment is both costly and ineffective. In recent years, nano-particles have been proposed as a potential alternative for controlling plant diseases.

 

B.    Antimicrobial activity

Different physical and chemical processes were used to create nano-materials such as copper oxide (CuONPs), zinc oxide (ZnONPs), magnesium hydroxide (MgOHNPs), and magnesium oxide (MgONPs). With the growing need to reduce the usage of environmentally hazardous compounds such as insecticides, the biosynthesis of nano-particles has become a hot topic at the confluence of nanotechnology and biotechnology. Plants have been discovered to have a significantly quicker rate of metal ion reduction than microbes, and stable nano-particle production has been documented.

 

C.    Application as Nano-fungicides

The usage of nano-silver against the phyto-pathogen Colletotrichum gloeosporioides has recently been investigated. Apart from their antibacterial capabilities, several nano-particles (Fe, Cu, Si, Al, Zn, ZnO, TiO₂, CeO₂, Al₂O₃, and carbon nano-tubes) have been shown to have negative impacts on plant development. Nano-particles can sometimes affect the growth of beneficial soil bacteria like Pseudomonas putida KT2440. Several research groups have focused their attention on the use of environmentally friendly insecticides. Nano-particle-based pesticides and herbicides are being studied in the same way that chemical pesticides are for the application of antimicrobial agents to protect crops from various ailments. Nano-particles` antifungal capabilities may aid in the formulation of nano-particle-based insecticides. Silver has been extensively investigated among the various inorganic nano-particle-based antibacterial treatments because of its several benefits over other nano-particles such as copper, zinc, gold, ZnO, Al₂O₃, and TiO₂.

 

D.    Controlling Plant Virus

Plant viruses, particularly spherical viruses, are thought to constitute natural nano-materials. Satellite tobacco necrosis virus, at about 18 nm in diameter, is the smallest plant virus discovered to date. Plant viruses have a genome composed of single or double stranded RNA/DNA encased in a protein coat. Their capacity to infect, transfer the nucleic acid genome to a specific location in the host cell, duplicate, package nucleic acid, and exit the host cell in a precise and orderly manner has demanded their usage in nanotechnology (Chhipa 2019).

 

Nanotechnology in Food Packaging

Food manufacturers are pioneering to development of nutrient-dense foods. High impermeable packaging nano-materials, for example, are used to protect food from UV rays and provide additional strength to keep food protected from the environment, extending shelf life. In food, nano-sensors are used to detect chemicals, gases, and infections. Smart packaging is a term used in modern parlance to describe this form of packaging. According to several studies, individuals are wary about nano-particles` direct involvement in food due to potential health risks. As a result, specific safety measures are required to limit the risk and ensure human safety (Fraceto et al., 2016)

 

Conclusion

The emergence and development of new pathogenic races is an ongoing issue, and using chemicals to control pests is both costly and ineffective. In recent years, nano-particles have been proposed as a potential alternative for controlling plant diseases. Agricultural methods often entail the systematic administration of a diverse set of active chemicals at varying doses and frequencies, resulting in a variety of selective regimes. Consumers are more exposed to nanomaterials as a result of the rapid expansion of nanoscience-based research and development, but their potential consequences on human health and the environment are yet unknown (Mukherjee et al., 2019).

Green approaches for manufacturing nano-particles with plant extracts are beneficial since they are easy, convenient, and require less reaction time. Nano-materials manufactured using environmentally friendly and green processes have the potential to improve agriculture by improving fertilization, plant growth regulators, and pesticide delivery of active components to desired target locations, wastewater treatment, and nutrient absorption in plants. Furthermore, they reduce the amount of toxic substances released into the environment. As a result, this technology aids in the reduction of environmental toxins.

Nanotechnology applications are being investigated, tested, and in some cases already implemented across the full food technology spectrum, from agriculture to food processing, packaging, and food supplements. They have chemical, physical, and mechanical qualities that are unique. Agricultural waste products have gained popularity as a source of renewable raw materials in recent years. One of the clearest instances of evolution occurring on an ecological time scale is insecticide resistance. The methodological application of a wide range of active chemicals at various dosages and frequency is common in agricultural techniques.

 

Reference

 

Chhipa, H. (2019). Applications of nanotechnology in agriculture. Methods in Microbiology, 46, 115-142.

Fraceto, L. F., Grillo, R., de Medeiros, G. A., Scognamiglio, V., Rea, G., & Bartolucci, C. (2016). Nanotechnology in agriculture: which innovation potential does it have? Frontiers in Environmental Science, 4, 20.

Ghidan, A. Y., and Al Antary, T. M. (2019). “Applications of nanotechnology in agriculture,” in Applications of Nanobiotechnology. Editors M. Stoytcheva, and R. Zlatev (London, United Kingdom: Intechopen).

Prasad, R., Bhattacharyya, A., & Nguyen, Q. D. (2017). Nanotechnology in sustainable agriculture: recent developments, challenges, and perspectives. Frontiers in microbiology, 8, 1014.

Pramanik, P., Krishnan, P., Maity, A., Mridha, N., Mukherjee, A., & Rai, V. (2020). Application of nanotechnology in agriculture. In Environmental Nanotechnology Volume 4 (pp. 317-348). Springer, Cham.

Mukherjee, A., Maity, A., Pramanik, P., Shubha, K., Joshi, D. C., & Wani, S. H. (2019). Public Perception About Use of Nanotechnology in Agriculture. In Advances in Phytonanotechnology (pp. 405-418). Academic Press.

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