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Use of Nanomaterials in Agriculture

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A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 September 2022) | Viewed by 29711

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Prof. Dr. Antonio Juárez Maldonado

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Departamento de Botánica, Universidad Autónoma Agraria Antonio Narro, Saltillo 25315, Coah., México
Interests: plant physiology; plant ecophysiology; biotic and abiotic stress; crop production; biostimulation
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Dear Colleagues,

Nanotechnology has been proven to be a useful tool in different areas of knowledge, and in agriculture it is no exception. Due to the unique properties of nanomaterials, multiple positive responses can be induced when applied to plant crops. Nanomaterials can induce responses in plants as soon as they come into contact with cell walls and cell membranes or by internalizing inside the cell. This causes changes at different levels, such as biochemical, genetic, or metabolic, which translate into physiological and secondary metabolism modifications that improve the functioning of the plants. Nanomaterials can be used in agriculture for different approaches, such as in the biostimulation of crops, nano-fertilizers, nano-pesticides, or nano-carriers of other compounds or molecules of interest. With these applications, it is possible to increase the productivity of crops, or to increase tolerance to different types of stress, both biotic and abiotic. Therefore, it is of great importance to develop research on the use of nanomaterials in agriculture in order to increase knowledge and their potential applications to improve agricultural production systems.

Prof. Dr. Antonio Juárez Maldonado
Guest Editor

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Keywords

Nanotechnology
Nano-biostimulation
Nano-fertilizers
Nano-pesticides
Nano-carriers
Biotic and abiotic stress
Crop production

Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 763 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Nutritional Parameters, Biomass Production, and Antioxidant Activity of Festuca arundinacea Schreb. Conditioned with Selenium Nanoparticles

by Uriel González-Lemus, Gabriela Medina-Pérez, José J. Espino-García, Fabián Fernández-Luqueño, Rafael Campos-Montiel, Isaac Almaraz-Buendía, Abigail Reyes-Munguía and Thania Urrutia-Hernández

Plants 2022, 11(17), 2326; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11172326 - 05 Sep 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2014

Abstract

Festuca arundinacea Schreb. is a widely used type of forage due to its great ecological breadth and adaptability. An agricultural intervention that improves the selenium content in cultivated plants has been defined as bio-fortification, a complementary strategy to improve human and non-human animals’ nutrition. The advancement of science has led to an increased number of studies based on nanotechnologies, such as the development of nanoparticles (NPs) and their application in crop plants. Studies show that NPs have different physicochemical properties compared to bulk materials. The objectives of this study were (1) to determine the behavior of F. arundinacea Schreb. plants cultivated with Se nanoparticles, (2) to identify the specific behavior of the agronomic and productive variables of the F. arundinacea Schreb. plants, and (3) to quantify the production and quality of the forage produced from the plant (the bioactive compounds’ concentrations, antioxidant activity, and the concentration of selenium). Three different treatments of SeNPs were established (0, 1.5, 3.0, and 4.5 mg/mL). The effects of a foliar fertilization with SeNPs on the morphological parameters such as the root size, plant height, and biomass production were recorded, as well as the effects on the physicochemical parameters such as the crude protein (CP), lipids (L), crude fiber (CF), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), carbohydrates (CH), the content of total phenols, total flavonoids, tannins, quantification of selenium and antioxidant activity 2,2′-Azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). Significant differences (p < 0.05) were found between treatments in all the response variables. The best results were obtained with foliar application treatments with 3.0 and 4.5 mg/mL with respect to the root size (12.79 and 15.59 cm) and plant height (26.18 and 29.34 cm). The F. arundinacea Schreb. plants fertilized with 4.5 mg/L had selenium contents of 0.3215, 0.3191, and 0.3218 mg/Kg MS; total phenols of 249.56, 280.02, and 274 mg EAG/100 g DM; and total flavonoids of 63.56, 64.96, and 61.16 mg QE/100 g DM. The foliar biofortified treatment with a concentration of 4.5 mg/mL Se NPs had the highest antioxidant capacities (284.26, 278.35, and 289.96 mg/AAE/100 g). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Use of Nanomaterials in Agriculture)

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13 pages, 1308 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Mung Bean (Vigna radiata) Treated with Magnesium Nanoparticles and Its Impact on Soilborne Fusarium solani and Fusarium oxysporum in Clay Soil

by Yasmine Abdallah, Marwa Hussien, Maha O. A. Omar, Ranya M. S. Elashmony, Dalal Hussien M. Alkhalifah and Wael N. Hozzein

Plants 2022, 11(11), 1514; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11111514 - 05 Jun 2022

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3121

Abstract

The nanotechnology revolution is developing daily all over the world. Soil-borne fungi cause a significant yield loss in mung beans. Our study was performed to identify the impact of different concentrations of MgO nanoparticles (MgONPs) and to assess the prevalence of Fusarium solani (F. solani) and Fusarium oxysporum (F. oxysporum) in mung bean plants under in vivo conditions and, subsequently, the remaining impacts on soil health. In vitro studies revealed that MgONPs could inhibit fungal growth. Mung bean plants treated with MgONPs showed a promotion in growth. The obtained MgONPs were applied to the roots of 14-day-old mung bean plants at a concentration of 100 µg/mL. The application of MgONPs at a concentration of 100 µg/mL caused an increase in mung bean seedlings. Compared to the control treated with water, plants exposed to MgONPs at 100 µg/mL showed improvements (p < 0.05) in shoot fresh weight (28.62%), shoot dry weight (85.18%), shoot length (45.83%), root fresh weight (38.88%), root dry weight (33.33%), root length (98.46%), and root nodule (70.75%). In the greenhouse, the severity of disease caused by F. solani decreased from approximately 44% to 25% and that by F. oxysporum from 39% to 11.4%, respectively. The results of this study confirm that the temporal growth of the soil microbial biomass was partially reduced or boosted following the nanoparticle drenching addition and/or plant infections at higher concentrations of 50 and 100 µg/mL while there was no significant decrease at the lowest concentration (25 µg/mL). The current research helps us to better understand how nanoparticles might be used to prevent a variety of fungal diseases in agricultural fields while avoiding the creation of environmental hazards to soil health. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Use of Nanomaterials in Agriculture)

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19 pages, 2607 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Integrative Effects of Biochar and ZnO Nanoparticles for Enhancing Rice Productivity and Water Use Efficiency under Irrigation Deficit Conditions

by Omnia M. Elshayb, Abdelwahed M. Nada, Ahmed H. Sadek, Sameh H. Ismail, Ashwag Shami, Basmah M. Alharbi, Bushra Ahmed Alhammad and Mahmoud F. Seleiman

Plants 2022, 11(11), 1416; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11111416 - 26 May 2022

Cited by 29 | Viewed by 2360

Abstract

Water stress is considered one of the most environmental hazards that threaten agricultural productivity. Therefore, two field experiments were conducted to investigate the impact of biochar (6 t ha⁻¹ as soil amendment), ZnO NPs (50 mg L⁻¹ as foliar application), and their combination on growth, yield, and water use efficiency (WUE) of rice grown under four irrigation deficit treatments (i.e., irrigation every 3, 6, 9 and 12 d). The irrigation every 3 d was considered as the control in the current study. For this purpose, biochar was prepared through the pyrolysis of corn stalk and rice husk at 350 °C for 3 h, while sonochemical combined with the precipitation method was used to prepare zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) from zinc acetate. The morphological structures of the produced biochar and ZnO NPs were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), N₂ gas adsorption-desorption, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results exhibited that the combination of biochar alongside ZnO NPs resulted in a positive significant effect on the physiological traits such as chlorophyll content, relative water content, plant height, and leaf area index as well as yield-associated components (i.e., number of panicles m⁻², number of filled grain per panicle, 1000-grain weight), and biological and grain yield ha⁻¹ when rice plants were irrigated every 9 days without a significant difference with those obtained from the control treatment (irrigation every 3 d). In conclusion, the combination of biochar and ZnO NPs could be recommended as an optimal approach to maximize both grain yield ha⁻¹ and WUE of rice. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Use of Nanomaterials in Agriculture)

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14 pages, 2342 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Characterization of Zanthoxylum rhoifolium (Sapindales: Rutaceae) Essential Oil Nanospheres and Insecticidal Effects to Bemisia tabaci (Sternorrhyncha: Aleyrodidae)

by Karla de Castro Pereira, Eliane Dias Quintela, Vinicius A. do Nascimento, Daniel José da Silva, Dannilo V. M. Rocha, José Francisco A. Silva, Steven P. Arthurs, Moacir Rossi Forim, Fabiano Guimarães Silva and Cristiane de Melo Cazal

Plants 2022, 11(9), 1135; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11091135 - 22 Apr 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1850

Abstract

Encapsulation via nanotechnology offers a potential method to overcome limited thermal and photo-stability of botanical pesticides. In this study, nanospheres of essential oils (NSEO) derived from Zanthoxylum rhoifolium Lam. fruit were characterized and evaluated for their photostability and insecticidal activity against Bemisia tabaci. Three major compounds of Z. rhoifolium fruits were detected by CG-MS: β-phellandrene (76.8%), β-myrcene (9.6%), and germacrene D (8.3%). The nanoprecipitation method was used to obtain homogeneous spherical NSEO, with ≥98% encapsulation efficiency. Tests with UV/Vis spectrophotometry showed significantly reduced photodegradation from exposed NSEO samples when compared with essential oil (EO) controls. Whitefly screenhouses bioassays with bean plants treated with 0.25, 0.5, 1 and 1.5% suspensions showed EO treatments in both free and nanoencapsulated forms reduced adult whitefly oviposition by up to 71%. In further tests, applications at 1.5% caused ≥64% mortality of second instar nymphs. When the test was conducted under high temperature and light radiation conditions, the insecticidal effect of NSEO treatments was improved (i.e., 84.3% mortality) when compared to the free form (64.8%). Our results indicate the insecticidal potential of EO-derived from Z. rhoifolium fruits with further formulation as nanospheres providing greater photostability and enhanced insecticidal activity against B. tabaci under adverse environmental conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Use of Nanomaterials in Agriculture)

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18 pages, 14775 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Graft and Nano ZnO on Nutraceutical and Mineral Content in Bell Pepper

by José-Gerardo Uresti-Porras, Marcelino Cabrera-De-La Fuente, Adalberto Benavides-Mendoza, Emilio Olivares-Sáenz, Raul I. Cabrera and Antonio Juárez-Maldonado

Plants 2021, 10(12), 2793; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10122793 - 17 Dec 2021

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2881

Abstract

The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effects of grafting, zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs), and their interaction on the nutritional composition of bell pepper plants. The treatments evaluated included grafted and non-grafted pepper plants with four concentrations of ZnO NPs (0, 10, 20, 30 mg L⁻¹) applied to the foliage. The following parameters were evaluated: content of N, P, K⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Mn²⁺, Zn²⁺, Fe²⁺, Cu²⁺, total antioxidants, ascorbic acid, total phenols, glutathione, total proteins, fruit firmness, and total soluble solids. Grafting increased the content of N 12.2%, P 15.9%, K⁺ 26.7%, Mg²⁺ 20.3%, Mn²⁺ 34.7%, Zn²⁺ 19.5%, Fe²⁺ 18.2%, Cu²⁺ 11.5%, antioxidant capacity 2.44%, ascorbic acid 4.63%, total phenols 1.33%, glutathione 7.18%, total proteins 1.08%, fruit firmness 8.8%. The application of 30 mg L⁻¹ ZnO NPs increased the content of N 12.3%, P 25.9%, Mg²⁺ 36.8%, Mn²⁺ 42.2%, Zn²⁺ 27%, Fe²⁺ 45%, antioxidant activity 13.95%, ascorbic acid 26.77%, total phenols 10.93%, glutathione 11.46%, total proteins 11.01%, and fruit firmness 17.7% compared to the control. The results obtained demonstrate the influence of the use of grafts and ZnO NPs as tools that could improve the quality and nutrient content in fruits of bell pepper crops. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Use of Nanomaterials in Agriculture)

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16 pages, 956 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Foliar Application of Nano, Chelated, and Conventional Iron Forms Enhanced Growth, Nutritional Status, Fruiting Aspects, and Fruit Quality of Washington Navel Orange Trees (Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck)

by Sherif F. El-Gioushy, Zheli Ding, Asmaa M. E. Bahloul, Mohamed S. Gawish, Hanan M. Abou El Ghit, Adel M. R. A. Abdelaziz, Heba S. El-Desouky, Rokayya Sami, Ebtihal Khojah, Taghred A. Hashim, Ahmed M. S. Kheir and Reda M. Y. Zewail

Plants 2021, 10(12), 2577; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10122577 - 25 Nov 2021

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2416

Abstract

Iron (Fe) is required for most metabolic processes, including DNA synthesis, respiration, photosynthesis, and chlorophyll biosynthesis; however, Fe deficiency is common in arid regions, necessitating additional research to determine the most efficient form of absorbance. Nano-fertilizers have characteristics that are not found in their traditional equivalents. This research was implemented on Washington navel orange trees (Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck) to investigate the effect of three iron forms—nano (Fe-NPs), sulfate (FeSO₄), and chelated (Fe-chelated)—as a foliar spray on the growth, fruiting aspects, and nutritional status of these trees compared to control. The highest values of the tested parameters were reported when the highest Fe-NPs level and the highest Fe-chelated (EDTA) rate were used. Results obtained here showed that the spraying of the Washington navel orange trees grown under similar environmental conditions and horticulture practices adopted in the current experiment with Fe-NPs (nanoform) and/or Fe-chelated (EDTA) at 0.1% is a beneficial application for enhancing vegetative growth, flower set, tree nutritional status, and fruit production and quality. Application of Fe-NPs and Fe-chelated (EDTA, 0.1%) increased yield by 32.0% and 25% and total soluble solids (TSS) by 18.5% and 17.0%, respectively, compared with control. Spraying Washington navel orange trees with nano and chelated iron could be considered a significant way to improve vegetative growth, fruit production, quality, and nutritional status while also being environmentally preferred in the arid regions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Use of Nanomaterials in Agriculture)

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24 pages, 4928 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Siliceous Natural Nanomaterials Applied in Combination with Foliar Fertilizers on Physiology, Yield and Fruit Quality of the Apricot and Peach Trees

by Cristina Moale, Marius Ghiurea, Carmen Eugenia Sîrbu, Raluca Somoghi, Traian Mihai Cioroianu, Victor Alexandru Faraon, Carmen Lupu, Bogdan Trică, Diana Constantinescu-Aruxandei and Florin Oancea

Plants 2021, 10(11), 2395; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10112395 - 06 Nov 2021

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3215

Abstract

Siliceous natural nanomaterials (SNNMs), i.e., diatomaceous earth and natural zeolites, have a nanoporous structure with large active surfaces that adsorb cations or polarized molecules. Such nanoporous feature determines the effects related to SNNM utilization as low-risk plant protectants and soil improvers. This work used SNNMs from Romanian quarries as carriers for foliar fertilizers applied to stone-fruit trees, apricot and peach. We determined the effects of SNNMs on the physiology, yield and fruit quality of the treated stone-fruit trees. SNNM application determined impacts specific to the formation of particle films on leaves: reduced leaf temperature (up to 4.5 °C) and enhanced water use efficiency (up to 30%). Foliar fertilizers’ effects on yield are amplified by their application with SNNMs. Yield is increased up to 8.1% by the utilization of SNNMs with foliar fertilizers, compared to applying foliar fertilizer alone. Diatomaceous earth and natural zeolites promote the accumulation of polyphenols in apricot and peach fruits. The combined application of SNNMs and foliar fertilizer enhance the performance of peach and apricot trees. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Use of Nanomaterials in Agriculture)

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Review

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30 pages, 6541 KiB

Open AccessReview

Interaction of the Nanoparticles and Plants in Selective Growth Stages—Usual Effects and Resulting Impact on Usage Perspectives

by Jan Wohlmuth, Dorota Tekielska, Jana Čechová and Miroslav Baránek

Plants 2022, 11(18), 2405; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11182405 - 15 Sep 2022

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3487

Abstract

Nanotechnologies have received tremendous attention since their discovery. The current studies show a high application potential of nanoparticles for plant treatments, where the general properties of nanoparticles such as their lower concentrations for an appropriate effects, the gradual release of nanoparticle-based nutrients or their antimicrobial effect are especially useful. The presented review, after the general introduction, analyzes the mechanisms that are described so far in the uptake and movement of nanoparticles in plants. The following part evaluates the available literature on the application of nanoparticles in the selective growth stage, namely, it compares the observed effect that they have when they are applied to seeds (nanopriming), to seedlings or adult plants. Based on the research that has been carried out, it is evident that the most common beneficial effects of nanopriming are the improved parameters for seed germination, the reduced contamination by plant pathogens and the higher stress tolerance that they generate. In the case of plant treatments, the most common applications are for the purpose of generating protection against plant pathogens, but better growth and better tolerance to stresses are also frequently observed. Hypotheses explaining these observed effects were also mapped, where, e.g., the influence that they have on photosynthesis parameters is described as a frequent growth-improving factor. From the consortium of the used nanoparticles, those that were most frequently applied included the principal components that were derived from zinc, iron, copper and silver. This observation implies that the beneficial effect that nanoparticles have is not necessarily based on the nutritional supply that comes from the used metal ions, as they can induce these beneficial physiological changes in the treated cells by other means. Finally, a critical evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of the wider use of nanoparticles in practice is presented. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Use of Nanomaterials in Agriculture)

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33 pages, 14643 KiB

Open AccessReview

Nano-Restoration for Sustaining Soil Fertility: A Pictorial and Diagrammatic Review Article

by Hassan El-Ramady, Eric C. Brevik, Zakaria F. Fawzy, Tamer Elsakhawy, Alaa El-Dein Omara, Megahed Amer, Salah E.-D. Faizy, Mohamed Abowaly, Ahmed El-Henawy, Attila Kiss, Gréta Törős, József Prokisch and Wanting Ling

Plants 2022, 11(18), 2392; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11182392 - 14 Sep 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3141

Abstract

Soil is a real treasure that humans cannot live without. Therefore, it is very important to sustain and conserve soils to guarantee food, fiber, fuel, and other human necessities. Healthy or high-quality soils that include adequate fertility, diverse ecosystems, and good physical properties are important to allow soil to produce healthy food in support of human health. When a soil suffers from degradation, the soil’s productivity decreases. Soil restoration refers to the reversal of degradational processes. This study is a pictorial review on the nano-restoration of soil to return its fertility. Restoring soil fertility for zero hunger and restoration of degraded soils are also discussed. Sustainable production of nanoparticles using plants and microbes is part of the process of soil nano-restoration. The nexus of nanoparticle–plant–microbe (NPM) is a crucial issue for soil fertility. This nexus itself has several internal interactions or relationships, which control the bioavailability of nutrients, agrochemicals, or pollutants for cultivated plants. The NPM nexus is also controlled by many factors that are related to soil fertility and its restoration. This is the first photographic review on nano-restoration to return and sustain soil fertility. However, several additional open questions need to be answered and will be discussed in this work. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Use of Nanomaterials in Agriculture)

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25 pages, 1038 KiB

Open AccessReview

Engineered Nanomaterials in Soil: Their Impact on Soil Microbiome and Plant Health

by Shams Tabrez Khan, Syed Farooq Adil, Mohammed Rafi Shaik, Hamad Z. Alkhathlan, Merajuddin Khan and Mujeeb Khan

Plants 2022, 11(1), 109; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11010109 - 30 Dec 2021

Cited by 39 | Viewed by 3522

Abstract

A staggering number of nanomaterials-based products are being engineered and produced commercially. Many of these engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) are finally disposed into the soil through various routes in enormous quantities. Nanomaterials are also being specially tailored for their use in agriculture as nano-fertilizers, nano-pesticides, and nano-based biosensors, which is leading to their accumulation in the soil. The presence of ENMs considerably affects the soil microbiome, including the abundance and diversity of microbes. In addition, they also influence crucial microbial processes, such as nitrogen fixation, mineralization, and plant growth promoting activities. ENMs conduct in soil is typically dependent on various properties of ENMs and soil. Among nanoparticles, silver and zinc oxide have been extensively prepared and studied owing to their excellent industrial properties and well-known antimicrobial activities. Therefore, at this stage, it is imperative to understand how these ENMs influence the soil microbiome and related processes. These investigations will provide necessary information to regulate the applications of ENMs for sustainable agriculture and may help in increasing agrarian production. Therefore, this review discusses several such issues. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Use of Nanomaterials in Agriculture)

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