Application of nanoelements in plant nutrition and its impact in ecosystems

Abstract

Agriculture stands to benefit from nanotechnology in areas such as combating pests and pathogens, regulating the growth and quality of crops, and developing intelligent materials and nanosensors. The objective of this paper is to provide an overview of the use of nanomaterials (NMs) and nanoparticles (NPs) in plant nutrition, highlighting their advantages and potential uses, but also reviewing their possible environmental destination and effects on ecosystems and consumers. NPs and NMs have been shown to be an attractive alternative for the manufacture of nanofertilizers (NFs), which are more effective and efficient than traditional fertilizers. Because of their impact on crop nutritional quality and stress tolerance in plants, the application of NFs is increasing. However, there are virtually no studies on the potential environmental impact of NPs and NMs when used in agriculture. These studies are necessary because NPs and NMs can be transferred to ecosystems by various pathways where they can cause toxicity to organisms, affecting the biodiversity and abundance of these ecosystems, and may ultimately even be transferred to consumers.

The Role of Nanotechnology in the Fortification of Plant Nutrients and Improvement of Crop Production

“…Nano Ultra-Fertilizer (500 Zeolites are mineral materials that are safe to the soil and function well to conserve available soil nutrients, for efficient crop production and reduction in environmental hazards associated with agricultural activities [68]. Natural zeolite, which comprises over fifty mineral types of basically alkali and alkaline earth aluminosilicates, has been developed into nanofertilizer in recent times.…”

“…Zeolite nanocomposites of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK), in addition to other nutrients and micronutrients of amino acids, mannose, Ca, Fe, and Zn, have been reported, which have aided crop growth and are absorbed in those crops, as explained in Figure 1 [6]. One disadvantage of zeolite is its inability to absorb and adsorb anions, thus it is enhanced in this perspective with biopolymers [68].…”

Tolerance-Induction Techniques and Agronomical Practices to Mitigate Stress in Extensive Crops and Vegetables

“…Different techniques have been proposed for the management of damage caused by high irradiance, among which are the use of genetically modified plants [12], the application of antioxidant compounds, tolerance inducers such as proline and salicylic acid or its derivatives [42], the application of silicon or selenium to the soil or by foliar spraying [43,44], the maintenance of adequate levels of foliar calcium [45], the use of diverse nanomaterials that besides serving as a nutrient for the plant induce stress tolerance [46], the use of beneficial microorganisms [36], the application of particle-films such as kaolinite which increase foliar reflectance [47,48] or plant varieties with epidermis with high reflectance such as glossy sorghum [49]. As far as it is known, there are no techniques available to induce hardening in plants against high irradiance stress [10].…”

“…The contribution of other mineral nutrients such as K and Ca combined with compost or other sources of organic matter reduces Na + absorption, increases K + and improves the K + :Na + balance, resulting in higher plant growth and yield. The use of nanofertilizers, which has been shown to be more efficient to feed plants compared to traditional fertilizers [46], could be another alternative to reduce the supply of salts to agricultural soils, thus decreasing the process of salinization that every day increases the surface of degraded soils. Another suitable alternative to mitigate this type of stress is the application of zeolite and humic substances that capture the salts in the soil, reducing the EC of the soil solution, increasing the growth of the roots as well as the uptake of other mineral elements [119,120].…”

“…It has been proven experimentally that all essential elements for plants are absorbed and used by plants in their nanometric form. However, the more diversified and larger application of this technology still requires that the safety issues of the use of nanomaterials in crops destined to food production be solved [46].…”