Abstract :
Technical innovation in agriculture is of extreme importance, in particular to address global challenges such
as population growth, climate change and the limited availability of important plant nutrients such as phosphorus
and potassium. Nanotechnology applied to agricultural production could play a fundamental role for this purpose
and research on agricultural applications is ongoing for largely a decade by now. The application of nanomaterials
in agriculture aims in particular to reduce applications of plant protection products, minimize nutrient losses in
fertilization, and increase yields through optimized nutrient management. Despite these potential advantages, the
agricultural sector is still comparably marginal and has not yet made it to the market to any larger extent in
comparison with other sectors of nanotechnology application.
New devices and tools, like nanocapsules, nanoparticles and even viral capsids, are examples of uses for the
detection and treatment of diseases, the enhancement of nutrients absorption by plants, the delivery of active
ingredients to specific sites and water treatment processes. The use of target-specific nanoparticles can reduce the
damage to non-target plant tissues and the amount of chemicals released into the environment. Nanotechnology
derived devices are also explored in the field of plant breeding and genetic transformation. The potential of
nanotechnology in agriculture is large, but a few issues are still to be addressed, such as increasing the scale of
production processes and lowering costs, as well as risk assessment issues. In this respect, particularly attractive are
nanoparticles derived from biopolymers such as proteins and carbohydrates with low impact on human health and
the environment. For instance, the potential of starch-based nanoparticles as nontoxic and sustainable delivery
systems for agrochemicals and biostimulants is being extensively investigated.
Nanomaterials and nanostructures with unique chemical, physical, and mechanical properties (e.g.
electrochemically active carbon nanotubes, nanofibers and fullerenes) have been recently developed and applied for
highly sensitive bio-chemical sensors. These nanosensors have also relevant implications for application in
agriculture, in particular for soil analysis, easy bio-chemical sensing and control, water management and delivery,
pesticide and nutrient delivery. In recent years, agricultural waste products have attracted attention as source of
renewable raw materials to be processed in substitution of fossil resources for several different applications.
Nanocomposites based on biomaterials have beneficial properties compared to traditional micro and macro
composite materials and, additionally, their production is more sustainable. Many production processes are being
developed nowadays to obtain useful nanocomposites from traditionally harvested materials. For example, it is
possible to use chemical-mechanical processes to obtain nanofibers with enhanced thermal properties for the
production of thermoplastic composites, starting from wheat straw and soy hulls.
Keyword :
Nanocomposite, Nanofibres, Nanocapsules.