Emerging Applications and Future Roles of Nanotechnologies in Agriculture

Abstract

Faced with decreased access to arable land, freshwater resources, increasing populations and increased regulatory pressures, new tools are needed to ensure sustained agricultural production. Nanoparticle technologies have begun to be deployed in agricultural applications, with diverse, powerful results. Of these, bioactive metal and biopolymer-based chemistries have emerged as the first-generation nanoparticle technologies for use in agriculture, with crop responses reported from tests in greenhouse-controlled and field-based studies. Next-generation nanoparticle technologies are emerging incorporating variability in internal pore space, surface porosity and surface chemical adsorptive properties that indicate a significantly improved capacity to adsorb, contain and ultimately deliver phytonutrients, and various agrochemicals into plant tissues. Both foliar and root zone applications have suggested that nanoparticle inherent properties alone can trigger an array of beneficial responses in target crops. However, with the increasing structural and chemical diversity exhibited in such next-generation technologies, nanoparticle uptake, mobility and even biodegradability are being tuned to address challenges in crop production. This brief review highlights the rapidly moving frontiers in agricultural nanoparticle technology, with a focus on opportunities for immediate application in the field.