Advances in Nano-Enabled Agriculture

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 June 2023) | Viewed by 10740

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Analytical Chemistry, The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
Interests: environmental science; environmental nanotechnology; nano-enabled agriculture; nanotoxicology
Department of Analytical Chemistry, The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
Interests: environmental chemistry; toxicology; sustainable nanotechnology

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Guest Editor
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA
Interests: environmental nanotechnology; plant physiology; phytoremediation
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Nowadays, agriculture is facing various challenges. Concerns for the decline in farmland and the increasing demand for food worldwide call for an urgent improvement in the current system to a more sustainable one. Nanoscale materials with a much larger surface-to-volume ratio compared to traditional chemicals are widely used in different areas and bring revolutionary changes. Importantly, they are known to significantly increase the photosynthesis rate and yield crops via efficient nutrient delivery, or improve the tolerance of plants to different types of stress by cultivating enzyme activity and enhancing crop disease resistance, although there is still a knowledge gap in the understanding of interactions between plants and applied nanomaterials regarding their in planta uptake and accumulation.

This Special Issue, titled “Advances in Nano-Enabled Agriculture”, aims to highlight research on emerging applications of nanotechnology in agriculture, food, and the environment as fertilizers, delivery platforms, or pesticides/fungicides which enable the protection of crops against insects and pathogen diseases. At the same time, the potential risks need to be assessed and excluded. We welcome researchers to submit their original research articles, reviews, and news in the related fields and, much more at any level, from greenhouse scale to field scale.

Dr. Chaoyi Deng
Dr. Yi Wang
Dr. Jose R. Peralta-Videa
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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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.

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 2337 KiB  
Article
Availability of Metribuzin-Loaded Polymeric Nanoparticles in Different Soil Systems: An Important Study on the Development of Safe Nanoherbicides
by Vanessa Takeshita, Gustavo Vinicios Munhoz-Garcia, Camila Werk Pinácio, Brian Cintra Cardoso, Daniel Nalin, Valdemar Luiz Tornisielo and Leonardo Fernandes Fraceto
Plants 2022, 11(23), 3366; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11233366 - 04 Dec 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1438
Abstract
Nanoformulations have been used to improve the delivery of fertilizers, pesticides, and growth regulators, with a focus on more sustainable agriculture. Nanoherbicide research has focused on efficiency gains through targeted delivery and environmental risk reduction. However, research on the behavior and safety of [...] Read more.
Nanoformulations have been used to improve the delivery of fertilizers, pesticides, and growth regulators, with a focus on more sustainable agriculture. Nanoherbicide research has focused on efficiency gains through targeted delivery and environmental risk reduction. However, research on the behavior and safety of the application of these formulations in cropping systems is still limited. Organic matter contained in cropping systems can change the dynamics of herbicide–soil interactions in the presence of nanoformulations. The aim of this study was to use classical protocols from regulatory studies to understand the retention and mobility dynamics of a metribuzin nanoformulation, compared to a conventional formulation. We used different soil systems and soil with added fresh organic material. The batch method was used for sorption–desorption studies and soil thin layer chromatography for mobility studies, both by radiometric techniques. Sorption parameters for both formulations showed that retention is a reversible process in all soil systems (H~1.0). In deep soil with added fresh organic material, nanoformulation was more sorbed (14.61 ± 1.41%) than commercial formulation (9.72 ± 1.81%) (p < 0.05). However, even with the presence of straw as a physical barrier, metribuzin in nano and conventional formulations was mobile in the soil, indicating that the straw can act as a barrier to reduce herbicide mobility but is not impeditive to herbicide availability in the soil. Our results suggest that environmental safety depends on organic material maintenance in the soil system. The availability can be essential for weed control, associated with nanoformulation efficiency, in relation to the conventional formulation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Nano-Enabled Agriculture)
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15 pages, 2220 KiB  
Article
Phytosynthesis of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Using Ceratonia siliqua L. and Evidence of Antimicrobial Activity
by Inès Karmous, Fadia Ben Taheur, Nubia Zuverza-Mena, Samira Jebahi, Shital Vaidya, Samir Tlahig, Mohsen Mhadhbi, Mustapha Gorai, Amel Raouafi, Mohamed Debara, Talel Bouhamda and Christian O. Dimkpa
Plants 2022, 11(22), 3079; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11223079 - 14 Nov 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1741
Abstract
Carob (Ceratonia siliqua L.) is a tree crop cultivated extensively in the eastern Mediterranean regions but that has become naturalized in other regions as well. The present study focused on the green synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) from Carob and their [...] Read more.
Carob (Ceratonia siliqua L.) is a tree crop cultivated extensively in the eastern Mediterranean regions but that has become naturalized in other regions as well. The present study focused on the green synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) from Carob and their evaluation for antimicrobial activity in bacteria and fungi. The synthesized ZnONPs showed strong antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25 923 (92%). The NPs inhibited the growth of pathogenic yeast strains, including Candida albicans ATCC90028, Candida krusei ATCC6258, and Candida neoformans ATCC14116, by 90%, 91%, and 82%, respectively, compared to the control. Fungal inhibition zones with the ZnONPs were 88.67% and 90%, respectively, larger for Aspergillus flavus 15UA005 and Aspergillus fumigatus ATCC204305, compared to control fungal growth. This study provides novel information relevant for plant-based development of new and potentially antimicrobial ZnONPs based on extracts. In particular, the development and application of phytogenic nanoparticles enhances the biocompatibility of nano-scale materials, thereby allowing to tune effects to prevent adverse outcomes in non-target biological systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Nano-Enabled Agriculture)
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23 pages, 4523 KiB  
Article
Physiological Response, Oxidative Stress Assessment and Aquaporin Genes Expression of Cherry Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) Exposed to Hyper-Harmonized Fullerene Water Complex
by Angelina Subotić, Slađana Jevremović, Snežana Milošević, Milana Trifunović-Momčilov, Marija Đurić and Đuro Koruga
Plants 2022, 11(21), 2810; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11212810 - 22 Oct 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1875
Abstract
The rapid production and numerous applications of nanomaterials warrant the necessity and importance of examining nanoparticles in terms to their environmental and biological effects and implications. In this study, the effects of a water-soluble hyper-harmonized hydroxyl-modified fullerene (3HFWC) on cherry tomato seed germination, [...] Read more.
The rapid production and numerous applications of nanomaterials warrant the necessity and importance of examining nanoparticles in terms to their environmental and biological effects and implications. In this study, the effects of a water-soluble hyper-harmonized hydroxyl-modified fullerene (3HFWC) on cherry tomato seed germination, seedlings growth, physiological response and fruiting was evaluated. Changes in the photosynthetic pigments content, oxidative stress assessment, and aquaporin genes expression in cherry tomato plants were studied after during short- and long-term continuous exposure to 3HFWC nanosubstance (200 mg/L). Increased levels of photosynthetic pigments in leaves, lycopene in fruits, decreased levels of hydrogen peroxide content, activation of cellular antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase, catalase and peroxidase and increased aquaporin gene expression (PIP1;3, PIP1;5 and PIP2;4) were observed in 3HFWC nanosubstance-exposed plants in comparison to control, untreated cherry tomato plants. The 3HFWC nanosubstance showed positive effects on cherry tomato seed germination, plantlet growth and lycopene content in fruits and may be considered as a promising nanofertilizer. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Nano-Enabled Agriculture)
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Review

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22 pages, 1289 KiB  
Review
Unlocking the Potential of Nano-Enabled Precision Agriculture for Efficient and Sustainable Farming
by Vinod Goyal, Dolly Rani, Ritika, Shweta Mehrotra, Chaoyi Deng and Yi Wang
Plants 2023, 12(21), 3744; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12213744 - 01 Nov 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1725
Abstract
Nanotechnology has attracted remarkable attention due to its unique features and potential uses in multiple domains. Nanotechnology is a novel strategy to boost production from agriculture along with superior efficiency, ecological security, biological safety, and monetary security. Modern farming processes increasingly rely on [...] Read more.
Nanotechnology has attracted remarkable attention due to its unique features and potential uses in multiple domains. Nanotechnology is a novel strategy to boost production from agriculture along with superior efficiency, ecological security, biological safety, and monetary security. Modern farming processes increasingly rely on environmentally sustainable techniques, providing substitutes for conventional fertilizers and pesticides. The drawbacks inherent in traditional agriculture can be addressed with the implementation of nanotechnology. Nanotechnology can uplift the global economy, so it becomes essential to explore the application of nanoparticles in agriculture. In-depth descriptions of the microbial synthesis of nanoparticles, the site and mode of action of nanoparticles in living cells and plants, the synthesis of nano-fertilizers and their effects on nutrient enhancement, the alleviation of abiotic stresses and plant diseases, and the interplay of nanoparticles with the metabolic processes of both plants and microbes are featured in this review. The antimicrobial activity, ROS-induced toxicity to cells, genetic damage, and growth promotion of plants are among the most often described mechanisms of operation of nanoparticles. The size, shape, and dosage of nanoparticles determine their ability to respond. Nevertheless, the mode of action of nano-enabled agri-chemicals has not been fully elucidated. The information provided in our review paper serves as an essential viewpoint when assessing the constraints and potential applications of employing nanomaterials in place of traditional fertilizers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Nano-Enabled Agriculture)
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27 pages, 2195 KiB  
Review
A Review of Sustainable Use of Biogenic Nanoscale Agro-Materials to Enhance Stress Tolerance and Nutritional Value of Plants
by Ved Prakash Giri, Pallavi Shukla, Ashutosh Tripathi, Priya Verma, Navinit Kumar, Shipra Pandey, Christian O. Dimkpa and Aradhana Mishra
Plants 2023, 12(4), 815; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12040815 - 11 Feb 2023
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3090
Abstract
Climate change is more likely to have a detrimental effect on the world’s productive assets. Several undesirable conditions and practices, including extreme temperature, drought, and uncontrolled use of agrochemicals, result in stresses that strain agriculture. In addition, nutritional inadequacies in food crops are [...] Read more.
Climate change is more likely to have a detrimental effect on the world’s productive assets. Several undesirable conditions and practices, including extreme temperature, drought, and uncontrolled use of agrochemicals, result in stresses that strain agriculture. In addition, nutritional inadequacies in food crops are wreaking havoc on human health, especially in rural regions of less developed countries. This could be because plants are unable to absorb the nutrients in conventional fertilizers, or these fertilizers have an inappropriate or unbalanced nutrient composition. Chemical fertilizers have been used for centuries and have considerably increased crop yields. However, they also disrupt soil quality and structure, eventually impacting the entire ecosystem. To address the situation, it is necessary to develop advanced materials that can release nutrients to targeted points in the plant-soil environment or appropriate receptors on the leaf in the case of foliar applications. Recently, nanotechnology-based interventions have been strongly encouraged to meet the world’s growing food demand and to promote food security in an environmentally friendly manner. Biological approaches for the synthesis of nanoscale agro-materials have become a promising area of research, with a wide range of product types such as nanopesticides, nanoinsecticides, nanoherbicides, nanobactericides/fungicides, bio-conjugated nanocomplexes, and nanoemulsions emerging therefrom. These materials are more sustainable and target-oriented than conventional agrochemicals. In this paper, we reviewed the literature on major abiotic and biotic stresses that are detrimental to plant growth and productivity. We comprehensively discussed the different forms of nanoscale agro-materials and provided an overview of biological approaches in nano-enabled strategies that can efficiently alleviate plant biotic and abiotic stresses while potentially enhancing the nutritional values of plants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Nano-Enabled Agriculture)
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