Nanotechnology has gained popularity in recent years owing to its established potential for application and implementation in various sectors such as medical drugs, medicine, catalysis, energy, material, and plant science. Nanoparticles (NPs) are smaller in size (1–100 nm) with a larger surface area and have many fruitful applications. The extraordinary functions of NPs are utilized in sustainable agriculture due to nano-enabled products, e.g., nano-insecticides, nano-pesticides, and nano-fertilizers. Nanoparticles have lately been suggested as an alternate method for controlling plant pests such as insects, fungi, and weeds. Several NPs exhibit antimicrobial properties considered in food packaging processes; for example, Ag-NPs are commonly used for such purposes. Apart from their antimicrobial properties, NPs such as Si, Ag, Fe, Cu, Al, Zn, ZnO, TiO2, CeO2, Al2O3, and carbon nanotubes have also been demonstrated to have negative impacts on plant growth and development. This review examines the field-use of nano-enabled products in sustainable agriculture, future perspectives, and growing environmental concerns. The remarkable information on commercialized nano-enabled products used in the agriculture and allied sectors are also provided.

Despite the documented significance of carbon-based nanomaterials (CNMs) in plant development, the knowledge of the impact of carbon nanoparticles (CNPs) dosage on physiological responses of crop plants is still scarce. Hence, the present study investigates the concentration-dependent impact of CNPs on the morphology and physiology of Vigna radiata. Crop seedlings were subjected to CNPs at varying concentrations (25 to 200 µM) in hydroponic medium for 96 h to evaluate various physiological parameters. CNPs at an intermediate concentration (100 to 150 µM) favor the growth of crops by increasing the total chlorophyll content (1.9-fold), protein content (1.14-fold) and plant biomass (fresh weight: 1.2-fold, dry weight: 1.14-fold). The highest activity of antioxidants (SOD, GOPX, APX and proline) was also recorded at these concentrations, which indicates a decline in ROS level at 100 µM. At the highest CNPs treatment (200 µM), aggregation of CNPs was observed more on the root surface and accumulated in higher concentrations in the plant tissues, which limits the absorption and translocation of nutrients to plants, and hence, at these concentrations, the oxidative damage imposed by CNPs is evaded with the rise in activity of antioxidants. These findings show the importance of CNPs as nano-fertilizers that not only improve plant growth by their slow and controlled release of nutrients, but also enhance the stress-tolerant and phytoremediation efficiency of plants in the polluted environment due to their enormous absorption potential.

Global issues such as soil deterioration, pollution, and soil productivity loss induced by industrialization and intensive agriculture pose a serious danger to agricultural production and sustainability. Numerous technical breakthroughs have been applied to clean up soil or boost the output of damaged soils, but they have failed to restore or improve soil health to desired levels owing to expense, impossibility in a practical setting, or, to a lesser extent, high labor consumption. Recent nanotechnology advancements promise to improve soil quality indicators and crop yields while ensuring environmental sustainability. As previously discovered, the inclusion of nanomaterials (NMs) in soils could manipulate rhizospheric microbes or agriculturally important microbes and improve their functionality, facilitating the availability of nutrients to plants and improving root systems and crop growth in general, opening a new window for soil health improvement. A viewpoint on the difficulties and long-term outcomes of applying NMs to soils is provided, along with detailed statistics on how nanotechnology can improve soil health and crop productivity. Thus, evaluating nanotechnology may be valuable in gaining insights into the practical use of NMs for soil health enhancement.

Dyes are a significant group of organic contaminants known to negatively affect both humans and aquatic environments. In the textile industry, interest in agricultural-based adsorbents has increased, particularly around adsorption. In this study, methylene blue was eliminated from an aqueous solution using a walnut (Juglans regia) shell. These materials are widely available and inexpensive, and its cost can be a major factor in wastewater treatment batch experiments. Response surface methodology (RSM) is based on a face-centred central composite design, used to identify the independent variable. With the use of RSM, the biomass of J. regia shells was assessed for its capacity to absorb dyes from aqueous solutions, including methylene blue. Maximum methylene blue dye removal percentages (97.70%) were obtained with a 30 mg/L concentration of methylene blue dye, 1.5 gm of biomass, an initial pH of 6, and a contact duration of 60 min at 25 °C. Additionally, particles were absorbed onto the J. regia shell’s surface throughout the biosorption process, according to scan electron microscopy. Functional groups were discovered in the Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy spectra, which are crucial for binding during the biosorption of methylene blue. It has been demonstrated that J. regia shell biomass performs well as a biosorbent in the removal of methylene blue from wastewater effluents. It is also a promising, biodegradable, environmentally friendly, economical, and cost-effective biosorbent.

Nanotechnological approaches are emerging as one of the most contemporary restoration strategies that may be used to remove a variety of contaminants from the environment, including heavy metals, organic and inorganic pollutants. The application of nanoparticles (NPs) is entrenched with biological processes to boost up the removal of toxic compounds from contaminated soils. Many efforts have been taken to increase the effectiveness of phytoremediation such as the addition of chemical additives, application of rhizobacteria, and genetic engineering, etc. In this context, the integration of nanotechnology with bioremediation has introduced new dimensions to the reclamation methods. Thus, advanced remediation methods that combine nanotechnology with phytoremediation and bioremediation, where nanoscale process regulation aids in the absorption and breakdown of pollutants. NPs absorb/adsorb a variety of contaminants and also catalyze reactions by lowering the energy required for their breakdown due to unique surface properties. As a result, these nanobioremediation procedures decrease the accumulation of contaminants while simultaneously limiting their dispersal from one medium to another. Therefore, the present review is dealing with all the possibilities of the application of NPs for restoration of contaminated soils.