BookKhalid Rehman Hakeem, Tanveer Bilal Pirzadah, editors.
Summary: Agriculture is considered as a backbone of developing nations as it caters the needs of the people, directly or indirectly. The global agriculture currently faces enormous challenges like land degradation and reduced soil fertility, shrinking of land, low production yield, water accessibility and a dearth of labor due to evacuation of individuals from farming. Besides, the global population increases at an exponential rate and it is predicted that the global population will be 9 billion by 2050 that in turn leads to food crisis in near future. Although, green revolution revolutionizes the agriculture sector by enhancing the yield but it was not considered as a sustainable approach. Exorbitant use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides to boost the crop yield is definitely not a convenient approach for agriculture sustainability in the light of the fact that these chemical fertilizers are considered as double-edged sword, which on one hand enhance the crop yield but at the same time possess deleterious effect on the soil microflora and thus declines its fertility. Besides, it cause irreversible damage to the soil texture and disrupts the equilibrium in the food chain across ecosystem, which might in turn lead to genetic mutations in future generations of consumers. Thus, the increased dependence on fabricated agricultural additives during and post green revolution has generated serious issues pertaining to sustainability, environmental impact and health hazards. Therefore, nano-biotechnology has emerged as a promising tool to tackle the above problems especially in the agriculture sector. Nano-agribusiness is an emerged field to enhance crop yield, rejuvenate soil health, provide precision farming and stimulate plant growth. Nano-biotechnology is an essential tool in modern agriculture and is considered as a primary economic driver in near future. It is evaluated that joining of cutting edge nanotechnology in agribusiness would push the worldwide monetary development to approximately US$ 3.4 trillion by 2020 which clearly indicates that how agri-nanobiotechnology plays a pivotal role in the agricultural sector, without any negative impact on the environment and other regulatory issues of biosafety. Agri-nanobiotechnology is an innovative green technology, which provides the solution to global food security, sustainability and climate change. The current book is presenting the role of nano-biotechnology in modern agriculture and how it plays a pivotal role to boost the agri-business.
Contents:
Intro
Foreword
Preface
Contents
About the Editors
Nanotechnology: An Overview
1 Introduction
2 Categorization of Nano-agrochemicals
2.1 Nano-fertilizers
Nano-composite Polymers
2.2 Nano-biosensors
2.3 Nano-clays
2.4 Nano-pesticides
Formulations Aiming to Increase the Solubility of Poorly Water-Soluble Compounds
3 Formulations Aimed for Controlled/Targeted Release and/or Protect Active Ingredients Against Premature Degradation
3.1 Polymer-Based Formulations
3.2 Porous Hollow Silica Nanoparticles
3.3 Nano-metals 13 Conclusions
References
Nano-enabled Agriculture Can Sustain "Farm to Fork" Chain
1 Introduction
2 Disease Management Through Nanotechnology
2.1 Nanobarcodes
2.2 Nanosensors
3 Enhanced Food Safety Through Sensors for the Detection of Pathogens or Freshness
3.1 Freshness and Spoilage Indicators
4 Nanotechnology in Enhancing Soil Security
5 Important Nanoparticles in the Agro-Industry
5.1 Chitosan Nanoparticles (CNP)
5.2 TiO2 Nanoparticles
5.3 Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNTs) Nanoparticles
5.4 Silicon Nanoparticles
5.5 Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles 4 Nano-agrochemicals Versus Conventional Agrochemicals
4.1 Solubility and Dispersion of Mineral Micro-nutrients
4.2 Nutrient Uptake Efficiency
4.3 Controlled Release Modes
4.4 Effective Duration of Nutrient Release
4.5 Loss Rate of Fertilizer Nutrients
5 Conclusion and Future Perspective
References
Nanotechnology: A Boost for the Urgently Needed Second Green Revolution in Indian Agriculture
1 Introduction
2 Applications of Nanotechnology and Nanomaterials in Agriculture and Food Sector
3 Nanotechnology and Agriculture Sector 4 Smart Delivery Systems for Pests, Nutrients, and Plant Hormones
5 Nano-formulations for the Control of Plant Diseases
5.1 Nanotechnology for Detecting Plant Diseases
6 Plant Pathogens in Biosynthesis of Nanoparticles
6.1 Fungi
6.2 Bacteria
6.3 Plant Virus
7 Amalgamation of Nanotechnology and Crop Biotechnology
8 Nanoparticles and Recycling Agricultural Waste
9 Nanotechnology in Food Sector
10 Risk Assessment of Nanomaterials in Agriculture and Food Sector
11 Socio-Economic Issues of Agricultural Nanotechnology
12 Current and Future Developments 6 Plant Induced Resistance Through Nanoparticles
7 Engineered Water Nanostructures to Treat Food Surfaces to Reduce Pathogen Presence
8 Therapeutic Nanoparticles Deliver Nutrients to Agricultural Crops Against Various Deficiencies
9 Genetic Material Delivery via Nanoparticle-Mediated Chloroplast Transgene Delivery
10 Conclusion and Perspective
References
Role of Nanotechnology in Crop Improvement
1 Introduction
2 Agro-Nanotechnology and Crop Improvement
3 Role of Nanotechnology for Enhancement of Plant Biomass and Yield Production