Nanomaterial-Based Strategies for Sustainable Horticulture: From Nano-Horticulture to Molecular Mechanisms

Dear Colleagues,

Through their unique optical and catalytic properties, nanomaterials demonstrate transformative potential in modern agriculture, particularly in horticulture. Confronted with global environmental degradation, soil salinization, and growing demands for sustainable agriculture, the market demand for high-quality horticultural products is rising sharply. The tunable functionality of nanomaterials offers versatile solutions for precision agriculture, high-value product development, and environmental sustainability. Nano-horticulture, as an emerging interdisciplinary field, can be integrated into molecular biology. Elucidating the interaction mechanisms between nanomaterials and plant systems can provide a new paradigm for agricultural innovation. The synergistic development of nanotechnology and biotechnology, especially the application of molecular markers and gene editing tools, provides strong support for the targeted design and efficacy evaluation of functional nanomaterials. Molecular biology-validated nanomaterials can build a scientific foundation for the industrialization of intelligent nano-agricultural materials.

Over the past decade, the research on nanomaterial applications in agriculture has advanced rapidly. Studies have focused on developing novel functional materials via traditional and modern methods, while utilizing molecular biology technologies to investigate their mechanisms in promoting plant growth and stress resistance. Research indicates that nanomaterials can act as efficacy-enhancing carriers or signaling inducers, regulating plant gene expression and physiological responses. Transcriptomic and proteomic analyses confirm that specific nanomaterials significantly upregulate genes related to photosynthesis, nutrient uptake, and stress response, while modulating signaling pathways such as MAPK and plant hormone transduction, systematically revealing the molecular mechanisms behind growth promotion and stress resistance.

This Special Issue, "Nanomaterial-Based Strategies for Sustainable Horticulture: From Nano-Horticulture to Molecular Mechanisms", will showcase reviews and research papers on topics including the design and characterization of functional nanomaterials for horticultural crops; the molecular mechanisms behind nanomaterial–plant interactions; the physiological and molecular bases of nanomaterial-mediated growth promotion, quality improvement, and stress resilience; molecular biology-based nanobiosafety assessments; and the development of intelligent horticultural products integrating nanotechnology and molecular breeding strategies. Advances in these interdisciplinary areas will deepen our understanding of the "nanomaterial–plant" system and promote precise, efficient applications of nanotechnology in sustainable horticulture.

Prof. Dr. Xiaokai Xu
Prof. Dr. Huasen Wang
Guest Editors

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