Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
6.5
4.0
Journals
Plants
Special Issues
Use of Nanomaterials in Agriculture 2.0
share announcement

Use of Nanomaterials in Agriculture 2.0

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 April 2023) | Viewed by 15190

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Antonio Juárez Maldonado

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Departamento de Botánica, Universidad Autónoma Agraria Antonio Narro, Saltillo 25315, Mexico
Interests: plant physiology; plant ecophysiology; biotic and abiotic stress; crop production; biostimulation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Nanotechnology has proven to be a useful tool in different areas including agriculture. Due to the unique properties of nanomaterials, multiple positive responses can be induced when applied to plant crops. Nanomaterials can induce responses in plants upon contact with cell walls and cell membranes, or by internalizing inside the cell. This causes changes at different levels, such as biochemical, genetic, or metabolic, which translate into physiological and secondary metabolism modifications that improve the functioning of the plants. Nanomaterials can be used in agriculture for different approaches, such as the biostimulation of crops, nano-fertilizers, nano-pesticides, or nano-carriers of other compounds or molecules of interest. With these applications, it is possible to increase the productivity of crops, or to increase tolerance to different types of stress, both biotic and abiotic. Therefore, it is of great importance to develop research on the use of nanomaterials in agriculture, in order to increase knowledge and their potential applications to improve agricultural production systems

Prof. Dr. Antonio Juárez Maldonado
Guest Editor

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.

Keywords

  • nanotechnology
  • nano-biostimulation
  • nano-fertilizers
  • nano-pesticides
  • nano-carriers
  • biotic and abiotic stress
  • crop production

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (6 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

21 pages, 3863 KiB  
Article
Efficacy of Seed-Biopriming with Trichoderma spp. and Foliar Spraying of ZnO-Nanoparticles Induce Cherry Tomato Growth and Resistance to Fusarium Wilt Disease
by Amany H. M. Shams, Amira A. Helaly, Abeer M. Algeblawi and Eman F. A. Awad-Allah
Plants 2023, 12(17), 3117; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12173117 - 30 Aug 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2130
Abstract
Several microbes that cause plant diseases drastically lower the production of agriculture and jeopardize the safety of the world’s food supply. As a result, sustainable agriculture requires disease management tactics based on modern, eco-friendly techniques as alternatives to various agrochemicals. The current study [...] Read more.
Several microbes that cause plant diseases drastically lower the production of agriculture and jeopardize the safety of the world’s food supply. As a result, sustainable agriculture requires disease management tactics based on modern, eco-friendly techniques as alternatives to various agrochemicals. The current study aimed to assess the antifungal activity of ZnO-nanoparticles against Fusarium solani in-vitro, and the ability of two antagonistic Trichoderma isolates, Trichoderma viride and Trichoderma harzianum, to produce antifungal secondary metabolites and identify them using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, and to evaluate the combined effects of foliar spray of ZnO-nanoparticles and bioprimed seeds of cherry tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) with two antagonistic Trichoderma isolates against Fusarium wilt disease caused by Fusarium solani in greenhouse conditions. The results revealed that, in-vitro, the highest concentration of ZnO nanoparticles (3000 ppm) resulted in the greatest decrease in Fusarium solani mycelial growth (90.91% inhibition). The scanning electron microscopy demonstrated the evident distortion in Fusarium solani growing mycelia treated with ZnO-nanoparticles, which might be the source of growth suppression. Additionally, twenty-eight bioactive chemical compounds were isolated and identified from Trichoderma spp. ethyl acetate crude extracts using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. In a greenhouse experiment, the combination of bioprimed cherry tomato plants with Trichoderma harzianum and foliar spraying of ZnO-nanoparticles at 3000 ppm was the most effective interaction treatment for reducing disease severity index (23.4%) and improving the vegetative growth parameters, micronutrient contents (Mn, Zn, and Fe in leaves), and chlorophyll content (SPAD unit), as well as stimulating phenylalanine ammonia-lyase activity of cherry tomato leaves at 75 days after sowing. In conclusion, the antifungal potential of seed-biopriming with antagonistic Trichoderma isolates and the foliar spraying of ZnO-nanoparticles can boost cherry tomato growth and confer resistance to Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium solani. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Use of Nanomaterials in Agriculture 2.0)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

21 pages, 3597 KiB  
Article
How Can Biological and Chemical Silver Nanoparticles Positively Impact Physio-Chemical and Chloroplast Ultrastructural Characteristics of Vicia faba Seedlings?
by Bushra Ahmed Alhammad, Heba M. M. Abdel-Aziz, Mahmoud F. Seleiman and Shaimaa M. N. Tourky
Plants 2023, 12(13), 2509; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12132509 - 30 Jun 2023
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2276
Abstract
Through interactions with plant cells, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) with both biological and chemical origins can stimulate physiological and metabolic processes in plants. To ensure their safe application in the food chain, it is necessary to investigate their effects on plant systems. Therefore, the [...] Read more.
Through interactions with plant cells, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) with both biological and chemical origins can stimulate physiological and metabolic processes in plants. To ensure their safe application in the food chain, it is necessary to investigate their effects on plant systems. Therefore, the effects of chemical AgNPs (chem-AgNPs) and biologically synthesized AgNPs (bio-AgNPs) at different levels (i.e., 0, 10, and 50 ppm) on physiological and biochemical traits {i.e., root and shoot growth traits, photosynthetic pigments (Chl a, Chl b, carotenoids, and total pigments), soluble sugars, total carbohydrates, starch, H2O2, and antioxidant enzyme activities} of Vicia faba L. seedlings were investigated. AgNPs were biosynthesized from silver nitrate (AgNO3) by a green synthesis approach using Jatropha curcas seed extract. The synthesized AgNPs were characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), zeta potential, Fourier-transform infrared spectra (FT-IR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results showed that bio-AgNPs at 10 ppm resulted in the highest growth, physiological, and biological traits of faba bean seedlings in comparison with those obtained from both AgNO3 and chem-AgNPs treatments. On the other hand, all AgNPs treatments adversely affected the chloroplast ultrastructure, however, fewer negative effects were obtained with the application of 10 ppm bio-AgNPs. In addition, the roots and shoots of seedlings contained the lowest Ag content under different treatments at 10 ppm AgNPs in comparison to the highest level of AgNPs (50 ppm), which indicates that additional studies should be incorporated to ensure safe use of lower concentrations of bio-AgNPs in seed priming. In conclusion, the application of biogenic nanoparticles at 10 ppm can be recommended to enhance plant growth and the productivity of strategic crops. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Use of Nanomaterials in Agriculture 2.0)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

19 pages, 3267 KiB  
Article
The Effect of Functionalized Multiwall Carbon Nanotubes with Fe and Mn Oxides on Lactuca sativa L.
by Dorina Podar, Camelia-Loredana Boza, Ildiko Lung, Maria-Loredana Soran, Otilia Culicov, Adina Stegarescu, Ocsana Opriş, Alexandra Ciorîță and Pavel Nekhoroshkov
Plants 2023, 12(10), 1959; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12101959 - 11 May 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1506
Abstract
The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of six nanomaterials, namely CNT-COOH, CNT-MnO2, CNT-Fe3O4, CNT-MnO2-Fe3O4, MnO2, and Fe3O4 on lettuceTo determine the impact of [...] Read more.
The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of six nanomaterials, namely CNT-COOH, CNT-MnO2, CNT-Fe3O4, CNT-MnO2-Fe3O4, MnO2, and Fe3O4 on lettuceTo determine the impact of nanomaterials on lettuce, the results obtained were compared with those for the control plant, grown in the same conditions of light, temperature, and humidity but without the addition of nanomaterial. The study found that the content of bioactive compounds and the antioxidant capacity varied in the treated plants compared to the control ones, depending on the nanomaterial. The use of CNTs functionalized with metal oxides increases the elemental concentration of lettuce leaves for the majority of the elements. On the contrary, metal oxide nanoparticles and CNT functionalized with carboxyl groups induce a decrease in the concentration of many elements. Soil amending with MnO2 affects the content of more than ten elements in leaves. Simultaneous application of CNT and MnO2 stimulates the elemental translocation of all elements from roots to leaves, but the simultaneous use of CNT and Fe3O4 leads to the most intense translocation compared to the control other than Mo. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Use of Nanomaterials in Agriculture 2.0)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

24 pages, 3556 KiB  
Article
Agronomic Investigation of Spray Dispersion of Metal-Based Nanoparticles on Sunflowers in Real-World Environments
by Dávid Ernst, Marek Kolenčík, Martin Šebesta, Ľuba Ďurišová, Hana Ďúranová, Samuel Kšiňan, Ramakanth Illa, Ivo Safarik, Ivan Černý, Gabriela Kratošová, Veronika Žitniak Čurná, Jana Ivanič Porhajašová, Mária Babošová, Huan Feng, Edmund Dobročka, Marek Bujdoš, Kristyna Zelena Pospiskova, Shadma Afzal, Nand K. Singh, Sasikumar Swamiappan and Elena Aydınadd Show full author list remove Hide full author list
Plants 2023, 12(9), 1789; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12091789 - 27 Apr 2023
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2434
Abstract
In environmental and agronomic settings, even minor imbalances can trigger a range of unpredicted responses. Despite the widespread use of metal-based nanoparticles (NPs) and new bio-nanofertilizers, their impact on crop production is absent in the literature. Therefore, our research is focused on the [...] Read more.
In environmental and agronomic settings, even minor imbalances can trigger a range of unpredicted responses. Despite the widespread use of metal-based nanoparticles (NPs) and new bio-nanofertilizers, their impact on crop production is absent in the literature. Therefore, our research is focused on the agronomic effect of spray application of gold nanoparticles anchored to SiO2 mesoporous silica (AuSi-NPs), zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs), and iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe3O4-NPs) on sunflowers under real-world environments. Our findings revealed that the biosynthetically prepared AuSi-NPs and ZnO-NPs were highly effective in enhancing sunflower seasonal physiology, e.g., the value of the NDVI index increased from 0.012 to 0.025 after AuSi-NPs application. The distribution of leaf trichomes improved and the grain yield increased from 2.47 t ha−1 to 3.29 t ha−1 after ZnO-NPs application. AuSi-NPs treatment resulted in a higher content of essential linoleic acid (54.37%) when compared to the NPs-free control (51.57%), which had a higher determined oleic acid. No NPs or residual translocated metals were detected in the fully ripe sunflower seeds, except for slightly higher silica content after the AuSi-NPs treatment. Additionally, AuSi-NPs and NPs-free control showed wide insect biodiversity while ZnO-NPs treatment had the lowest value of phosphorus as anti-nutrient. Contradictory but insignificant effect on physiology, yield, and insect biodiversity was observed in Fe3O4-NPs treatment. Therefore, further studies are needed to fully understand the long-term environmental and agricultural sustainability of NPs applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Use of Nanomaterials in Agriculture 2.0)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

18 pages, 4185 KiB  
Article
Seed Priming with Nanoparticles and 24-Epibrassinolide Improved Seed Germination and Enzymatic Performance of Zea mays L. in Salt-Stressed Soil
by Bushra Ahmed Alhammad, Awais Ahmad, Mahmoud F. Seleiman and ElKamil Tola
Plants 2023, 12(4), 690; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12040690 - 4 Feb 2023
Cited by 35 | Viewed by 3703
Abstract
Saline stress is one of the most critical abiotic stress factors that can lessen crops’ productivity. However, emerging nanotechnology, nano-fertilizers, and developing knowledge of phytochromes can potentially mitigate the negative effects of saline stress on seed germination. Therefore, the aim of this study [...] Read more.
Saline stress is one of the most critical abiotic stress factors that can lessen crops’ productivity. However, emerging nanotechnology, nano-fertilizers, and developing knowledge of phytochromes can potentially mitigate the negative effects of saline stress on seed germination. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of seed priming either with zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs; 50 and 100 mg L−1) or 24-epibrassinolide (EBL; 0.2 and 0.4 μM) and their combinations on maize (Zea mays L.) grains sown in salt-stressed soil (50 and 100 mM NaCl). Saline stress treatments significantly affected all germination traits and chemical analysis of seeds as well as α-amylase activity. Compared to un-primed seeds, seed priming with ZnO-NPs or EBL and their combinations significantly increased the cumulative germination percentage, germination energy, imbibition rate, increase in grain weight, K+ content, and α-amylase activity, and significantly reduced germination time, days to 50% emergence, Na+ uptake, and Na+/K+ ratio of maize sown in salt-stressed-soil (50 or 100 mM NaCl). The combination of 100 mg ZnO-NPs L−1 + 0.2 μM EBL resulted in the highest improvements for most of the studied traits of maize seeds sown in salt-stressed soil in comparison to all other individual and combined treatments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Use of Nanomaterials in Agriculture 2.0)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 2640 KiB  
Article
Nanopriming of Barley Seeds—A Shotgun Approach to Improve Germination under Salt Stress Conditions by Regulating of Reactive Oxygen Species
by Danuta Cembrowska-Lech and Kinga Rybak
Plants 2023, 12(2), 405; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12020405 - 15 Jan 2023
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2338
Abstract
Abiotic stresses are the most important environmental factors affecting seed germination, and negatively affect crop production worldwide. Water availability is essential for proper seed imbibition and germination. The mechanism by which seeds can germinate in areas with high soil salinity is, however, still [...] Read more.
Abiotic stresses are the most important environmental factors affecting seed germination, and negatively affect crop production worldwide. Water availability is essential for proper seed imbibition and germination. The mechanism by which seeds can germinate in areas with high soil salinity is, however, still unclear. The present study aims to investigate the protective roles of AgNPs in alleviating stress symptoms caused by salinity exposure in barley seeds. For this purpose, different treatment combinations of seed priming with PVP-AgNPs in salinity stress conditions were used. Salt stress (150 and 200 mM) was found to reduce seed germination by 100% when compared to the control. Under NaCl concentrations, seed priming with PVP-AgNPs (40 mg L−1) only for 2 h, reduced salinity effects. Salinity resulted in increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation compared to the control. However, increased antioxidants in the NPs treatments, such as SOD, CAT, GR, GPX (expression at both genes, such as HvSOD, HvCAT, HvGR or HvGPX, and protein levels) and glutathione content, scavenged these ROS. Considering all of the parameters under study, priming alleviated salt stress. To summarize, seed priming with AgNPs has the potential to alleviate salinity stress via reduced ROS generation and activation of the antioxidant enzymatic system during germination. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Use of Nanomaterials in Agriculture 2.0)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-6
Back to TopTop