In the era of climate change, global agricultural systems are facing numerous, unprecedented challenges. In order to achieve food security, advanced nano-engineering is a handy tool for boosting crop production and assuring sustainability. Nanotechnology helps to improve agricultural production by increasing the efficiency of inputs and minimizing relevant losses. Nanomaterials offer a wider specific surface area to fertilizers and pesticides. In addition, nanomaterials as unique carriers of agrochemicals facilitate the site-targeted controlled delivery of nutrients with increased crop protection. Due to their direct and intended applications in the precise management and control of inputs (fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides), nanotools, such as nanobiosensors, support the development of high-tech agricultural farms. The integration of biology and nanotechnology into nonosensors has greatly increased their potential to sense and identify the environmental conditions or impairments. In this review, we summarize recent attempts at innovative uses of nanotechnologies in agriculture that may help to meet the rising demand for food and environmental sustainability.

https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/24/14/2558/pdf

Applications of Nanotechnology in Plant Growth and Crop Protection: A Review

Various nano-enabled strategies are proposed to improve crop production and meet the growing global demands for food, feed and fuel while practising sustainable agriculture. After providing a brief overview of the challenges faced in the sector of crop nutrition and protection, this Review presents the possible applications of nanotechnology in this area. We also consider performance data from patents and unpublished sources so as to define the scope of what can be realistically achieved. In addition to being an industry with a narrow profit margin, agricultural businesses have inherent constraints that must be carefully considered and that include existing (or future) regulations, as well as public perception and acceptance. Directions are also identified to guide future research and establish objectives that promote the responsible and sustainable development of nanotechnology in the agri-business sector.

Nano-enabled strategies to enhance crop nutrition and protection.

The increasing food demand as a result of the rising global population has prompted the large-scale use of fertilizers. As a result of resource constraints and low use efficiency of fertilizers, the cost to the farmer is increasing dramatically. Nanotechnology offers great potential to tailor fertilizer production with the desired chemical composition, improve the nutrient use efficiency that may reduce environmental impact, and boost the plant productivity. Furthermore, controlled release and targeted delivery of nanoscale active ingredients can realize the potential of sustainable and precision agriculture. A review of nanotechnology-based smart and precision agriculture is discussed in this paper. Scientific gaps to be overcome and fundamental questions to be answered for safe and effective development and deployment of nanotechnology are addressed.

Nanofertilizer for Precision and Sustainable Agriculture: Current State and Future Perspectives

Nanofertilizer use for sustainable agriculture: Advantages and limitations.

Mineral fertilizers are key to food production, despite plant low nutrient uptake efficiencies and high losses However, nanotechnology can both enhance crop productivity and reduce nutrient losses This has raised interest in nanoscale and nanoenabled bulk fertilizers, hence the concept of nanofertilizers Nevertheless, large-scale industrial production of nanofertilizers is yet to be realized Here, we highlight the science-based evidence and outstanding concerns for motivating fertilizer industry production of nanofertilizers, including the notion of toxicity associated with nanoscale materials; scant nanofertilizer research with key crop nutrients; inadequacy of soil- or field-based studies with nanofertilizers; type of nanomaterials to produce as fertilizers; how to efficiently and effectively apply nanofertilizers at the field scale; and the economics of nanofertilizers It is anticipated that the development and validation of nanofertilizers that are nondisruptive to existing bulk fertilizer produc

Nanofertilizers: New Products for the Industry?

Billions of people and many soils across the planet suffer from micronutrient (MN) deficiencies impairing human health. In general, fertilization of deficient soils, according to soil test, with MNs alone and in combination with nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium (NPK) baseline treatment increases crop yield. The soil applied fertilizer-MN use efficiency (MUE) by crops is <5 % due to a lack of synchronization between the fertilizer-MN release and their crop demand during growth. Nanotechnology and biotechnology have the potential to play a prominent place in transforming agricultural systems and food production worldwide in the coming years. MNs added in microcapsules and nanocapsules, nanomaterials (NMs), and nanoparticles (NPs) are taken up and translocated within plants when grown to maturity, increasing crop yield and MN concentration in plants. Noteworthy, many of the effects of NPs and NMs on crop yield and quality, human health, and associated environmental risks remain to be explored. Increasing MUE requires synchronizing the release of nutrients from fertilizers with crop demand during the growing season. Development of intelligent MN fertilizer delivery platforms (IMNDP) may be possible on the basis of elucidating communication signals between plant roots and soil microorganisms. Important benefits from the development and farm adoption of intelligent MN delivery platforms include increased MUE, reduced fertilizer use, and minimal toxicity and environmental impacts. This article proposes for the first time a novel model for IMNDP to enhance MUE and food quality by enabling the synchronization of MN release from fertilizers according to crop demand.

C.M. Monreal

Papers

Nanotechnologies for increasing the crop use efficiency of fertilizer-micronutrients