Nanotechnology for Sustainable Agricultural Applications

Engineered nanoparticles have attracted much attention due to their successful implementation in different fields such as health, industry, and the space sector. Sustainable agriculture is a continuously evolving practice of various technologies working in a sustainable and eco-friendly manner. Further, recent advancements in sustainable agriculture practices can be attributed to nanotechnologies applied for different purposes in agricultural sectors. Studies suggest that nanoparticles of various materials can induce positive or negative effects on many plant growth parameters and regulate their hormones. Plant hormones such as auxin, gibberellin, cytokinin, ethylene, and abscisic acid can be regulated through nanoparticles to maintain plant growth, especially in stressful conditions for plants. Studies also suggest that these engineered nanoparticles exert a toxic effect on soil enzyme properties such as dehydrogenase, urease, and phosphatase that may negatively affect plant growth and also degrade soil quality in the long run. Further, many nano-based technologies used for disease control and pest control have also come into the picture. In this chapter, the readers will gain deep insights into nanotechnology for plant growth and disease control with sustainable agriculture practices in mind, exploring different technologies in practice and constraints related to them.