Nanotechnology: an Emerging Hope in Crop Improvement

The application of nanotechnology in the field of agriculture completely changed the present farming practices. One of the emerging challenges in the current agricultural system is developing disease resistance and increased productivity without accumulating environmental pollutants. Most of the applied conventional chemical fertilizers and pesticides have several side effects on both plants and the environment. Nanotechnology-based crop protection strategies have the potential to induce disease tolerance and enhancement of crop yield. Benefits of using nanoparticles in the agricultural fields include reducing environmental pollutants, rapid disease diagnosis, simple preparation process, less toxicity, and cost-effectiveness. Green synthesis of nanoparticles using plant extracts gained special attention as it is reproducible, biodegradable, and very effective against several plant pathogenic microbes. In the present review, we have discussed how different nanoparticles are being used to induce disease tolerance in crops, different types of nanoparticles, synthesis and characterization, uptake, and translocation process in plants. The molecular approaches of disease management using nanoparticles and the application of nanobiosensors are also enlightened in this review.