Chapter 7 - Impact of nano chitosan-NPK fertilizer on field crops

Abstract

Nanotechnology is well recognized as an emerging strategy and is being employed successfully to improve crop growth, productivity, quality, nutrient use efficiency as well as to improve the abiotic stress tolerance in plants. The application of nano-scale fertilizers is one of the possible practices of precision farming that make the crop production systems more efficient, sustainable and environmentally safe by reducing wastage of resources, input, cost and energy. Targeted delivery of nano-scale micronutrients could substantially improve the crop yields, nutrient uptake and recovery, and/or fertilizer use efficiency and crop performance under stressful conditions. Nanoparticles are transported within plants through vascular bundles (xylem and phloem), however excess accumulation of NPs in the root and shoot system could induce oxidative stress due to excessive production of reactive oxygen species in plants. Application of NPs improves abiotic-stress tolerance in plants by modulating different plant processes e.g., redox regulation, osmotic adjustment, and/or activation of antioxidant enzymes. The application of NPs induces abiotic stress tolerance in plants, however, their excess application causes detrimental effects on morphological, physiological, anatomical and genetic traits in crop plants which largely depends on the concentration, size and chemistry of NPs. Overall, the application of nanotechnology in agriculture is an emerging field, having both positive and negative impacts on plants, however, future research should be focused on the positive effects of NPs in improving growth, productivity and abiotic stress tolerance in crop plants.