Tomato poses the second-largest acreage among vegetables worldwide; however, its yields are severely lowered by more than 200 diseases. Compared to the conventional pesticides’ high ecosystem risks, nanopesticides have emerged as an alternative with higher efficacy. Nevertheless, a systematic investigation on the efficacy and the associated cost analysis of nanopesticides and conventional pesticides is yet to be done, which is essential to evaluate the application of nanopesticides. Thus, we used Cu-based pesticides for controlling tomato disease as a case study to explore the efficacy and cost trade-offs between nano- and conventional analogues. Ten peer-reviewed papers were fully studied, and we extracted data on indicators, including percent efficacy of disease control (PEDC), active ingredients (AIs), concentration, application volume, application method of pesticides, and plant biomass. The material efficiency (i.e., dosages of pesticides applied per plant per unit efficacy) and cost-effectiveness (i.e., cost of pesticides applied per plant per unit efficacy) were calculated for comparative analysis. The findings indicated that the efficacy of Cu-based nanopesticides improved by 16–20%, with 4.3-fold material efficiency enhancement compared to conventional analogues, suggesting that Cu-based nanopesticides significantly reduced application dosages (i.e., using ∼1/5 dosages of conventional analogues) to achieve equivalent efficacy. In addition, Cu-based nanopesticides could promote plant biomass by approximately 40% more than conventional pesticides under diseases. CuO, Cu­(OH)2, and GO–Cu nanopesticides could reduce cost per unit efficacy by 46.6, 11.6, and 46.8–83.4%, respectively. The size, shape, chemical composition, dosage, and application method of nanopesticides were revealed to be significant determinants of nanopesticides’ efficacy using an ordinary least squares model. Our quantitative results identified the extent of advantages that Cu-based nanopesticides have over conventional products from technological efficacy and economic perspectives. This efficacy–cost study is the key evaluation prior to large-scale application of nanopesticides, contributing to the development of nanopesticides, the enhancement of crop production, and agricultural sustainability.

The usage of pesticides is deemed essential to ensure crop production for global food security. Conventional chemical pesticides have significant effects on ecosystems. Nanopesticides are increasingly considered an emerging alternative due to their higher efficiency and lower environmental impacts. However, large knowledge gaps exist in the public perceptions and willingness-to-pay (WTP) for nanopesticides. Thus, we conducted a regional survey of pesticide users and food consumers on perceptions and WTP for nanopesticides across China. We found that 97.4% pesticide users were willing to pay for nanopesticides, with a main price from 25% to 40% higher than for conventional pesticides. Experience with applying pesticides, income, familiarity with and attitude toward nanopesticides, and trust in industries were significant determinants of WTP. Although the public were not familiar with nanopesticides, they had positive attitudes toward their future development and supported labeling nanoscale ingredients on products. Pesticide users presented high trust levels in governments and industries, while 34% of food consumers neutrally or distrusted industries in selling and production. This study highlights the socioeconomic and technological aspects of nanopesticides, which could provide guidance for industries to develop market strategies and for governments to design relevant regulation policies effectively, contributing to crop yield improvement and sustainable agriculture.

Emerging technologies have driven the rise of many water-related startups and created new opportunities in water markets. The global water crisis could be mitigated by applying innovative technologies, sound water management decisions, and successful business models, and it is essential to better understand the status and future trends of emerging water markets. This study aims to discover shifts in the entrepreneurial landscape and evaluate water startups' development performance for the sustainable development of emerging water markets. We collected and analyzed data including the founding date, service area, service provided, details of funding raised, revenues, and consumer responses on 132 water startups founded between 2008 and 2018 in California, USA. Our results indicated that municipal area dominated the emerging water startup market compared to agricultural and industrial areas, and that many of the services provided shifted from conventional technologies to digital technologies. Though digital water startups' current revenues were relatively low, digital techniques applied in the water industry exhibited the good potential to promote public health and water saving. The development trends and performance of water startups enlighten the technological and commercial revolutions in the emerging water market, and provide guidelines for the decision-making in relevant stakeholders in the scientific, governmental, and industrial communities.