Smart nanomaterial and nanocomposite with advanced agrochemical activities

Abstract

Conventional agriculture solely depends upon highly chemical compounds that have negatively ill-affected the health of every living being and the entire ecosystem. Thus, the smart delivery of desired components in a sustainable manner to crop plants is the primary need to maintain soil health in the upcoming years. The premature loss of growth-promoting ingredients and their extended degradation in the soil increases the demand for reliable novel techniques. In this regard, nanotechnology has offered to revolutionize the agrotechnological area that has the imminent potential over conventional agriculture and helps to reform resilient cropping systems withholding prominent food security for the ever-growing world population. Further, in-depth investigation on plant-nanoparticles interactions creates new avenues toward crop improvement via enhanced crop yield, disease resistance, and efficient nutrient utilization. The incorporation of nanomaterial with smart agrochemical activities and establishing a new framework relevant to enhance efficacy ultimately help to address the social acceptance, potential hazards, and management issues in the future. Here, we highlight the role of nanomaterial or nanocomposite as a sustainable as well stable alternative in crop protection and production. Additionally, the information on the controlled released system, role in interaction with soil and microbiome, the promising role of nanocomposite as nanopesticide, nanoherbicide, nanofertilizer, and their limitations in agrochemical activities are discussed in the present review.

Dissolution kinetics of citrate coated CoFe2O4nanoparticles in soil solution

“…In consequence, this may help to improve the nutrient use efficiency by less frequent dosing of Fe fertilizers, reduce the environmental hazards by diminishing the amount of nutrients applied to the soil and their losses by the effect of runoff, 65 and decrease the energy, manpower or other resources used to operate the application of fertilizers. 66 On the other hand, if we thought that citrate-coated CoFe 2 O 4 can be applied to soil as a nano fertilizer, its fast aggregation/agglomeration could result in significant deposition of the NPs in soil, but lower Fe and Co bioavailability. 67 Results showed that even though the NPs have a surface coating, these tend to agglomerate (Fig.…”

Smart Fertilizers vs. Nano-fertilizers: A Pictorial Overview

“…Soil Security, Vol. 6 (2022) as a strategy for sustainable agriculture (Calabi-Floody et al 2018), smart nanomaterials and nanocomposites for advanced agrochemical activities (Kumar et al 2021), nanotechnology-based controlled release of sustainable fertilizers (Beig et al 2022), using of bio-nanoparticles as fertilizers in smart farming (Ndaba et al 2022), functional nanomaterials (NMs) for sustainable and smart agricultural chemical technologies (Shao et al 2022), and smart nano-biosensors for sustainable agriculture and environmental applications (Ramachandran et al 2022). Agriculture sector includes several farms such as crop farming, floriculture, viticulture, aquaculture, microalgae farming and livestock, which several farms already have been implemented to be smart farming through application of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, and Internet of Things (IoT) to improve their productivity and their quality (Lim et al 2022).…”

“…(3) offer more information about the smart fertilizer in the system of fertigation or smart irrigation as well. It is worth to mention that, targeting a not selected plant and/or microbe species with possible adverse effect is a key issue emerging that put a loophole of criticism for these smart nano-agrochemicals, as reported by Kumar et al (2021). Smart fertilizer includes nanofertilizer, so smart fertilizer is wider concept that includes the nanofertilizer in particular.…”

The Applications of Nanotechnology in Crop Production

“…Herbicides, which are widely used to clear weeds, have exhibited numerous side effects, including toxic effects on living organisms, water pollution and contamination of soil and air, since commercial production of these chemical compounds [ 40 ]. Encapsulation of herbicides by nanoparticles is a promising mean to decrease herbicide residues in environment and increase weed control efficiency [ 41 ].…”