Latest Developments and Applications of Nanotechnology in Agriculture Sector: A Review

Abstract

Nanotechnology, a term coined by Norio Taniguchi first time in 1974, pertains to controlling, building, designing, restructuring materials and devices on the scale of atoms and molecules. Till today nanotechnology is used in the entire spectrum of the agriculture sector, such as agriculture production, single-molecule detection for the determination of enzyme-substrate interactions, nanocapsules for efficient and timely delivery of agrochemicals and growth hormones in a controlled fashion, nanosensors for monitoring soil conditions, crop growth and quality and for detection of animals and plant pathogens, nanochips for the preservation of identity and tracking, nanocapsules for vaccine delivery and nanoparticles to deliver DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid) to plants, a process known as “targeted genetic engineering.” Especially in the agriculture sector, research and technical innovation are important, addressing the crucial global challenges like population growth, drastic climate change and the limited availability of prime plant elemental nutrients such as phosphorus and potassium. Despite these tremendous advantages, uses of nanotechnology are still comparably marginal in the agricultural sector and research has not been commercialized and reached to market to any larger extent in comparision to the other sectors of nanotechnology application. Major safety concerns and stringent laws related to human health and the environment were raised towords industrial-scale manufacturing and use of nanomaterials hinders its use in the agriculture sector as well.