Nanotechnology in agriculture

1. NANOTECHNOLOGY IN
AGRICULTURE
Nikunj Aggarwal
Central University of
HaryanaMSc. Biotechnology (3rd
sem)191510

2. INTRODU
CTION• Nanoparticles are 1 nm to 100 nm in size.
•They have very large surface area to volume ratios.
NANOTECHNOLOGY IN
AGRICULTURE
Maximize agriculture output
(i.e., crop yields)
Minimize input (i.e., fertilizers,
pesticides, and herbicides)
• Various types of nanomaterials are used like :
• Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs)
• Quantum Dots
• Nanorods
• Micro- and Nanoencapsulation
• Nanoemulsions
Also agriculture is a backbone of developing countries, so to use the field in agricultural
benefit is need of the hour

3. Factors influencing absorption, uptake, transport and penetration of nanoparticles in plants
Size
Type
Functionalizatin
and coating
It is very important to
know that where do the
nanomaterials go?
Plant Absorption and Uptake of Nanoparticles
Pérez-de-Luque, A. (2017). Interaction of nanomaterials with plants: what do we need for real applications
in agriculture?. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 5, 12.

4. For agricultural production cost is not affordable
So we need nanomaterials that should be produced in great amounts and for a very low
price
natural polymers such as
•chitosan
•Alginate
•Lipids
This kind of polymers are easily synthesized and produced from natural existing compounds
like chitin from crustaceans' exoskeleton (for chitosan) and from brown algae (for alginate),
and they can be obtained in high amounts with a low cost.

5. Nanofertili
zers
Nanobiosen
sors
Herbici
des
Antimicro
bial
compoun
Nanopestic
ides
NANOPRODUCTS
Nanotechnology
in
agriculture
Agrochemicals
Post-harvest
technology
• Fertilizers
• Insecticides
• Pesticides, etc.
• Preservation of
agro products

6. NANOFERT
ILIZERS• To release nutrients into the soil gradually and in a targeted/controlled manner
• Increase plant-uptake efficiency of nutrients and/or reduce the adverse impacts of
conventional fertilizer
Encapsulation of nanostructured nutrients :
Various approaches-
•The nutrient can be encapsulated inside nanomaterials such as nanotubes or
nanoporous materials
•The nutrient can be coated with a thin, protective polymer film
•The nutrient can be delivered as particles or emulsions of nanoscale
dimensions
(naturally occurring minerals honeycomb like structure arrangement of Al and Si in 3D
framework)
Nano-porous properties of zeolites confer a high specific surface area and a high selection
toward plant macronutrients, which may be slowly released for specific plant uptake, thus
reducing nutrient loss and environmental risks and improving their efficacy
Nutrient-augmented-zeolites

7.  Titanium dioxide (TiO2)-NPs- Plant-photosynthesis efficacy and enzyme activity
could be enhanced
 Carbon nanotubes (CNTs)- Increase plant germination and growth
Effect of CNTs on tomato
seed germination
• Encapsulations in which NPK fertilizers are entrapped within chitosan nanoparticles
• Urea is utilized as a model fertilizer to access fertilizer loading and the controlled-release
behavior of nanoparticles
Robles-García, M. A., Rodriguez-Felix, F., Marquez-Rios, E., Aguilar, J. A., Barrera-Rodriguez, A., Aguilar, J.,
... & Del-Toro-Sánchez, C. L. (2016). Applications of nanotechnology in the agriculture, food, and
pharmaceuticals. Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, 16(8), 8188-8207.

8. NANOPES
TICIDE• Pesticide formulation that
“involve either very small particles of a pesticide active ingredient or other small engineered
structures with useful pesticidal properties”
Greater
solubility,
mobility and
durability
Opportunity to
reduce the
amount of
active
ingredients
used
Possibility to employ products
releasing less harmful chemicals to
nontarget organisms thus reducing
the development of resistance
Ability to provide
ingredient
protection against
premature
degradation
BENEFITS
For increasing
solubility of poorly
water soluble
pesticides
Nano-emulsions
and
nano-dispersions
Enhance the
bioavailability
of the active
ingredient
Avoid a number of
adjuvants which may
be toxic for non-target
organisms

9. A wide range of different nanoparticles can be used as carriers for the modified release of
pesticides :
• PEG-coated nanoparticles loaded with garlic essential oil against the adult Tribolium castaneum
insect shows insecticidal activity
• Silica and alumina nanoparticles used as insecticides against Sitophilus species and
Rhyzopertha dominica, due to that infest agricultural products during storage
Santiago, E. F., Pontes, M. S., Arruda, G. J., Caires, A. R., Colbeck, I., Maldonado-Rodriguez, R., & Grillo, R. (2020). Understanding the Interaction of Nanopesticides with Plants.
In Nanopesticides (pp. 69-109). Springer, Cham.
Solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) as a
carrier system for a combination of
atrazine and simazine to control
vegetation.
Herbicidal activity with treatment of
the target species,
Raphanus raphanistrum

10. NANOHE
RBICIDE
Manjunatha, R. L., Naik, D., & Usharani, K. V. (2019). Nanotechnology application in agriculture: A review. Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry, 8(3), 1073-
1083.
•Weeds are the biggest threat in agriculture and decline the yield of crop to a greater quantity
by using the nutrients which otherwise were available to the crop plants
• Remove weeds from crops in an eco-friendly way, without leaving any harmful residues in soil
and environment
• Poly(ε-caprolactone) nanocapsules containing ametryn and atrazine- resulted in lower toxicity
to the alga (Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata) and higher toxicity to the microcrustacean
(Daphnia similis) as compared to the herbicides alone

11. ANTIMICROBIAL
COMPOUNDS
NANOBIOS
ENSORS
• ZuO and Ag nanoparticles - applied in various agricultural activities including for the
control of several phytopathogens and for plant disease management
•Silver nanoparticles can be estimated by the fact that these kill approximately 650 types of
pathogenic microorganisms, such as bacteria, fungi, viruses, yeasts, etc.
• CNTs could readily penetrate cell walls and membranes to deliver desired materials
directly to plant organelles
(Antibacterial-lactoferrin and defense enzymes - chitinases, chitosanases, and lysozymes)
• Biosensors incorporated with nanomaterials
•Process control, real-time monitoring of crop growth, quality monitoring, safety assessment, and in the
field for monitoring environmental parameters and soil nutrients and for early detection of pathogens
and contaminants

12. PRECISION FARMING
Doing the right thing, in the right place, at the right time.
Maximize output from crops
while minimizing the input
of fertilizers, pesticides,
herbicides, etc. Monitoring environmental
variables and applying targeted
action
• Use of computers, sensors, global satellite positioning systems and remote sensing devices

13. NANOSCALE
AGRICULTURAL
PRODUCTS• Cellulose nanomaterials from a variety of plant-based resources can be derived as
either nanofibers or nanocrystals – Nanocellulose
• Nanocellulose due to their mechanical and barrier properties, biodegradability, and
crop safety applications used for protective coatings, for seeds, plants, and foodstuffs
• Used as edible coatings/films for crop harvesting and storage
• Nanocellulose-based coatings/films are effective to protect fresh and processed
agricultural products
• Nanotechnology for detection and remediation of environmental pollutants
• Environmental monitoring of toxicants and pathogens
• Nanotechnology for water and soil remediation

14. Kah, M., Kookana, R. S., Gogos, A., & Bucheli, T. D. (2018). A critical evaluation of nanopesticides and nanofertilizers against their conventional analogues. Nature
nanotechnology, 13(8), 677-684.
BENEFITS AND
DRAWBACKS

15. CONCL
USION
• The impact of nanotechnology on health, wealth, and lives of the people will be at least
equal to the combined influences of microelectronics, medical imaging, computer-aided
engineering and man-made polymers
• To date, nanoscientists are developing techniques for atom-by-atom construction of
objects that have potential applications in agriculture
• Also there are a greater application in fields like
• Medicine
• electronics
• information technology
• environmental monitoring
• remediation

16. FUTURE
PROSPECTS• Reducing toxicity, improving bioavailability and transport of nanomaterials
•Controlling size for phytoapplications
•Effective dose of nanoparticles
• use of ecofriendly biosynthesized NMs
•Addressing these potent interactions in natural ecosystems
•Safe use and commercialization of NMs

17. REFERE
NCES
• Robles-García, M. A., Rodriguez-Felix, F., Marquez-Rios, E., Aguilar, J. A., Barrera-
Rodriguez, A., Aguilar, J., ... & Del-Toro-Sánchez, C. L. (2016). Applications of
nanotechnology in the agriculture, food, and pharmaceuticals. Journal of Nanoscience
and Nanotechnology, 16(8), 8188-8207.
• Iavicoli, I., Leso, V., Beezhold, D. H., & Shvedova, A. A. (2017). Nanotechnology in
agriculture: Opportunities, toxicological implications, and occupational
risks. Toxicology and applied pharmacology, 329, 96-111.
• Duhan, J. S., Kumar, R., Kumar, N., Kaur, P., Nehra, K., & Duhan, S. (2017).
Nanotechnology: The new perspective in precision agriculture. Biotechnology
Reports, 15, 11-23.

18. THANK YOU!