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Advances in Nanotechnology for Monitoring and Enhancing Plant Physiological Responses...
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Advances in Nanotechnology for Monitoring and Enhancing Plant Physiological Responses Under Environmental Stress

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Physiology and Metabolism".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2025) | Viewed by 5794

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Mario Pagano

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Guest Editor
Institute of Research on Terrestrial Ecosystems (IRET), National Research Council (CNR), Via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, FI, Italy
Interests: plant biology; food security; THz imaging; enzyme; molecular biology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Ilaria Cacciotti

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Engineering, INSTM RU, University of Rome “Niccolò Cusano”, Via Don Carlo Gnocchi 3, 00166 Roma, Italy
Interests: biomaterials; bioceramics; biopolymers; biocomposites; ecosustainable materials; scaffold; spheres; fibers; coatings; sol–gel processes; valorization of agro-food waste extracts and by-products; electrospinning; additive manufacturing; physicochemical characterization; microstructure; thermal and mechanical properties; tissue engineering/regenerative medicine; drug delivery
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The aim of this Special Issue “Advances in Nanotechnology for Monitoring and Enhancing Plant Physiological Responses Under Environmental Stress” is to advance current understanding and applications of nanotechnology to address the challenges posed by environmental stresses in plants. This issue seeks to bring together innovative research that explores nanoscale tools and technologies to monitor plant health, decode stress signaling pathways, and enhance plant resilience under abiotic and biotic stress conditions.

The scope of this Special Issue encompasses the following topics:

  • The development and application of nanosensors for detecting plant physiological changes under stress.
  • Innovative nanomaterials for the targeted delivery of agrochemicals, nutrients, and growth stimulants.
  • The exploration of plant–nanoparticle interactions and their implications for stress adaptation.
  • Strategies for integrating nanotechnology into precision agriculture to mitigate environmental challenges.
  • Studies on the environmental, ecological, and safety aspects of nanotechnology in agricultural systems.

This Special Issue will include original research articles, reviews, and perspectives that demonstrate how nanotechnology can revolutionize plant stress management and contribute to sustainable agriculture

Dr. Mario Pagano
Prof. Dr. Ilaria Cacciotti
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Plants is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • nanotechnology
  • plant physiological responses
  • environmental stress
  • nanosensors
  • stress mitigation
  • sustainable agriculture
  • precision farming
  • nanomaterials
  • plant–nanoparticle interactions
  • abiotic stress
  • biotic stress
  • stress tolerance
  • agricultural nanotechnology

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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22 pages, 17368 KB  
Article
Linking Grape Cell Wall Composition and Phenolic Release to Wine Quality: Effects of Methyl Jasmonate-Loaded Chitosan Nanoparticles in Monastrell
by Rocío Gil-Muñoz, Juan Daniel Moreno-Olivares, María José Giménez-Bañón, José Julián Pérez-Cuadrado, María Quílez-Simón, Eva Pilar Pérez-Álvarez, Teresa Garde-Cerdán, Luis Javier Pérez-Prieto and Antonio Abel Lozano-Pérez
Plants 2025, 14(24), 3817; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14243817 - 15 Dec 2025
Viewed by 93
Abstract
This study explored the effects of three elicitor treatments—methyl jasmonate (MeJ), chitosan nanoparticles (ChNPs), and their combination (MeJ-ChNPs)—on cell wall characteristics in Monastrell grapes during the 2024 vintage. The central aim was to determine whether incorporating MeJ into chitosan nanoparticles could reduce its [...] Read more.
This study explored the effects of three elicitor treatments—methyl jasmonate (MeJ), chitosan nanoparticles (ChNPs), and their combination (MeJ-ChNPs)—on cell wall characteristics in Monastrell grapes during the 2024 vintage. The central aim was to determine whether incorporating MeJ into chitosan nanoparticles could reduce its volatility, enhance its stability, and ultimately strengthen its elicitation effect when applied in vineyards. By applying these formulations, particularly the MeJ-ChNPs complex, the research sought to understand how grape maturation, cell wall morphology, and phenolic composition could be altered, and how these changes might translate into differences in wine quality. The implementation of these MeJ formulations, and particularly MeJ-ChNPs, resulted in delayed grape maturation and pronounced changes in cell wall morphology, including increased thickness and altered phenolic composition. Grapes treated with MeJ-ChNPs showed enhanced anthocyanin biosynthesis and distinct colour properties compared to untreated controls. The findings revealed that MeJ-ChNPs delayed grape ripening and induced notable modifications in cell wall structure, including increased thickness and shifts in phenolic composition. These structural changes influenced the extractability of phenolic compounds and shaped the chromatic attributes of the resulting wines. Multivariate analyses, including principal component and correlation analyses, highlighted clear differences amongst treatment groups, emphasising the effectiveness of nanoparticle-based elicitors in changing grape skin morphology and composition and improving wine quality. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Nanotechnology for Monitoring and Enhancing Plant Physiological Responses Under Environmental Stress)
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Review

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23 pages, 1679 KB  
Review
Advancements in Agricultural Nanotechnology: An Updated Review
by Mario Pagano, Erika Lunetta, Francesco Belli, Giacomo Mocarli, Claudia Cocozza and Ilaria Cacciotti
Plants 2025, 14(18), 2939; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14182939 - 22 Sep 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3288
Abstract
Sustainable agriculture aims to meet the growing food demands of a rising global population while minimizing negative impacts on the environment, preserving natural resources, and ensuring long-term agricultural productivity. However, conventional agricultural practices often involve excessive use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and water, [...] Read more.
Sustainable agriculture aims to meet the growing food demands of a rising global population while minimizing negative impacts on the environment, preserving natural resources, and ensuring long-term agricultural productivity. However, conventional agricultural practices often involve excessive use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and water, leading to soil degradation, water pollution, and ecosystem imbalances. In this context, agricultural nanotechnology has emerged as a transformative field, offering innovative solutions to enhance crop productivity, improve soil health, and ensure sustainable agricultural practices. This review has explored the wide-ranging uses of nanotechnology in agriculture, highlighting innovative plant-targeted delivery systems—such as polymer-based nanoparticles, carbon nanomaterials, dendrimers, metal oxide particles, and nanoemulsions—as well as its contributions to minimizing pesticide application, alleviating plant stress, and improving interactions between plants and nanoparticles. By examining recent research and development, the review highlights the potential of nanotechnology to address critical challenges such as pest resistance, nutrient management, and environmental sustainability. In conclusion, we believe that, in the immediate future, key priorities should include: (1) scaling up field trials to validate laboratory findings, (2) developing biodegradable nanomaterials to ensure environmental safety, and (3) integrating nanotechnology with digital agriculture platforms to enable real-time monitoring and adaptive management. These steps are essential for translating promising research into practical, sustainable solutions that can effectively support global food security. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Nanotechnology for Monitoring and Enhancing Plant Physiological Responses Under Environmental Stress)
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33 pages, 1864 KB  
Review
The Emerging Roles of Nanoparticles in Managing the Environmental Stressors in Horticulture Crops—A Review
by Mohamed K. Abou El-Nasr, Karim M. Hassan, Basma T. Abd-Elhalim, Dmitry E. Kucher, Nazih Y. Rebouh, Assiya Ansabayeva, Mostafa Abdelkader, Mahmoud A. A. Ali and Mohamed A. Nasser
Plants 2025, 14(14), 2192; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14142192 - 15 Jul 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2102
Abstract
The primary worldwide variables limiting plant development and agricultural output are the ever-present threat that environmental stressors such as salt (may trigger osmotic stress plus ions toxicity, which impact on growth and yield of the plants), drought (provokes water stress, resulting in lowering [...] Read more.
The primary worldwide variables limiting plant development and agricultural output are the ever-present threat that environmental stressors such as salt (may trigger osmotic stress plus ions toxicity, which impact on growth and yield of the plants), drought (provokes water stress, resulting in lowering photosynthesis process and growth rate), heavy metals (induced toxicity, hindering physiological processes also lowering crop quantity and quality), and pathogens (induce diseases that may significantly affect plant health beside productivity). This review explores the integrated effects of these stressors on plant productivity and growth rate, emphasizing how each stressor exceptionally plays a role in physiological responses. Owing to developments in technology that outclass traditional breeding methods and genetic engineering techniques, powerful alleviation strategies are vital. New findings have demonstrated the remarkable role of nanoparticles in regulating responses to these environmental stressors. In this review, we summarize the roles and various applications of nanomaterials in regulating abiotic and biotic stress responses. This review discusses and explores the relationship between various types of nanoparticles (metal, carbon-based, and biogenic) and their impact on plant physiology. Furthermore, we assess how nanoparticle technology may play a role in practices of sustainable agriculture by reducing the amount of compounds used, providing them with a larger surface area, highly efficient mass transfer abilities, and controlled, targeted delivery of lower nutrient or pesticide amounts. A review of data from several published studies leads to the conclusion that nanoparticles may act as a synergistic effect, which can effectively increase plant stress tolerance and their nutritional role. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Nanotechnology for Monitoring and Enhancing Plant Physiological Responses Under Environmental Stress)
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