Nanotechnology for Sustainable Agriculture: An Emerging Perspective

The realm of agriculture has to confront an expansive gamut of challenges including climatic change, stagnant crop yield and the increasing resistance against pesticides. The explicit usage of agrochemicals along with the introduction of high yielding varieties and genetically modified seeds has already directed the agricultural systems towards a state of saturation in production. Therefore, the increasing need of sustainability demands the involvement of advanced nanotechnological approaches for enhancing crop productivity. Enhanced solubility, absorption and target specificity of nannofertilizers prepared using materials like silver, copper, gold and oxides of zinc and iron could address some of nutritional challenges. Nanopesticides such as chitosan loaded with spino sad, silica encapsulating fipronil and sodium alginate enclosing imidacloprid find applications in pest control while fluorescence nanosensor, carbon and graphene nanodots are exploited in herbicide and heavy metal detection. Nanofilteration involving grapheme, cellulose and cyclodextrin for removal of salt, heavy metals and organic pollutants, respectively, could significantly improve quality of hard and waste water making it suitable for irrigation.