Nano-Pesticides and Fertilizers: Solutions for Global Food Security

Abstract

Nanotechnology emerges as an important way to safeguard global food security amid the escalating challenges posed by the expansion of the global population and the impacts of climate change. The perfect fusion of this breakthrough technology with traditional agriculture promises to revolutionize the way agriculture is traditionally practiced and provide effective solutions to the myriad of challenges in agriculture. Particularly noteworthy are the applications of nano-fertilizers and pesticides in agriculture, which have become milestones in sustainable agriculture and offer lasting alternatives to traditional methods. This review meticulously explores the key role of nano-fertilizers and pesticides in advancing sustainable agriculture. By focusing on the dynamic development of nanotechnology in the field of sustainable agriculture and its ability to address the overarching issue of global food security, this review aims to shed light on the transformative potential of nanotechnology to pave the way for a more resilient and sustainable future for agriculture.

Nano-Food Farming Approaches to Mitigate Heat Stress under Ongoing Climate Change: A Review

“…Many studies have investigated the potential of nanotechnology as a potent and novel technique to enhance the agricultural food sector (e.g., [34,177,178]). Nano-farming for food security can be achieved with farming practices such as applying suitable nano-agrochemicals to improve crop performance [96,[179][180][181][182], nano-bioremediation of polluted soil and water [183], and nano-smart farming for food security [44,184]. Heat stress can shorten crop growing cycles and phenology, which reduces the total biomass and productivity [185].…”

“…For example, there are many agricultural practices linked directly to food production, such as nano-fertilization, nanopesticides, etc. Recently, many reports have confirmed that nanotechnology can contribute to global food security amid the escalating challenges posed by the growth of the global population and the impacts of climate change [43,182,[186][187][188]. The use of nanomaterials in producing food has received substantial investigation, such as nano-identification and tracking of agri-foods [189], nano-management of agro-wastes [190,191], nano-biosensors to detect pathogens [192], nano-enhancement of the shelf-life of agri-products [193], nanoagrochemicals for crop improvement [179], nanofibers for wastewater treatment [194], nano-bio-remediation of soil and water [195], and nano-carriers to provide targeted delivery of treatments [196].…”

Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using Carob leaf extract: Characterization and analysing of toxic effects in model organism Galleria mellonella L. (The Greater Wax Moth)

“…(Biswas et al 2022). Nanotechnology is employed in agriculture to make nano-fertilizers, insecticides, herbicides, and sensors (Tang et al 2024).…”

Current and emerging nanotechnology for sustainable development of agriculture: Implementation design strategy and application

“…As these present situations, the emerging implications of nanotechnology open the way to overcoming the remaining agricultural problems. The development of nanotechnology has provided novel nanomaterial and technology applications in many fields, such as pest management [ 13 ], food packaging and preservation [ 14 ], and pesticide and fertilizer formulation [ 15 ]. Typically, nanomaterials, with their small size range of less than 100 nm and high surface-to-volume ratio, can offer opportunities to develop nano-fertilizers (NFs) with bioavailability nutrients and high absorption and intake efficiency in both ways foliar spraying or soil amendment due to their nanoscale dimension.…”