Avinash P. Ingle, Ramanujan Fellow, Biotechnology Centre, Department of Agricultural Botany, Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Agricultural University, Akola, Maharashtra, India. His research focus is on nanobiotechnology and nano-biofuel technology and he has over 10 years of research experience in the field of nanotechnology.

• List of Contributors xiiPreface xvi1 Nanotechnology as a Smart Way to Promote the Growth of Plants and Control Plant Diseases: Prospects and Impacts 1Heba Mahmoud Mohammad Abdel-Aziz and Mohammed Nagib Abdel-ghany Hasaneen1.1 Introduction 11.2 Nanofertilizers 21.2.1 Methods for Application of Nanofertilizers 21.2.1.1 Seed Priming 21.2.1.2 In Soil 21.2.1.3 Foliar Application 31.2.2 Possible Ways for Uptake and Translocation of Nanofertilizers in Plants 31.2.3 Macronutrient Nanofertilizers 31.2.4 Micronutrient Nanofertilizers 51.2.5 Non-nutrient Nanofertilizers 61.2.6 Advantages of Nanofertilizers 61.2.7 Limitations of Nanofertilizers 71.3 Nanopesticides and Nanoantimicrobials 71.3.1 Nano-Insecticides 81.3.2 Nanobactericides 81.3.3 Nanofungicides 81.3.4 Nano-Antivirals 91.3.5 Advantages of Using Nanopesticides 91.3.6 Risks of Using Nano-based Agrochemicals 91.4 Conclusions 10References 112 Effects of Titanium Dioxide Nanomaterials on Plants Growth 17Martin Šebesta, Illa Ramakanth, Ondřej Zvěřina, Martin Šeda, Pavel Diviš, and Marek Kolenčík2.1 Introduction 172.2 Properties of TiO2NPs Important for Biological Interaction 182.3 Pathways and Interaction of TiO2NPs with Plants 202.3.1 Foliar Exposure 202.3.2 Root Exposure 212.3.3 Seed Exposure 222.3.4 Interaction of TiO2NPs with Plants 222.4 Effect of Different Concentrations of TiO2 NPs on Plants 232.5 Benefits of Using TiO2NPs Alone and in Complex Formulations on Plant Growth and Yield 312.6 Conclusion and Future Perspective 35References 373 The Emerging Applications of Zinc-Based Nanoparticles in Plant Growth Promotion 45Anil Timilsina and Hao Chen3.1 Introduction 453.2 Applications and Effects of Zn Based NPs on Plant Growth Promotion 463.2.1 Zn NPs in Seed Treatments and Its Effects 463.2.2 Effects of Zn NPs on Seed Germination 463.2.3 Effects of Seed Treatment on Plant Growth 503.2.4 Molecular Mechanisms Involved in Effects of Zn NPs on Seed 503.3 ZnO NPs in Enhanced Plant Growth 503.3.1 Application Methods 513.3.2 Effects of Zn NPs on Plant Growth Promotion 513.3.2.1 Effects of Zn NPs Via Foliar Application 513.3.2.2 Effects of Zn NPs Used in Agar Media and Hydroponic Application 553.3.2.3 Effects Zn NPs Through Soil Application 553.3.2.4 Effects of Zn NPs on Plant Physiological and Biochemical Changes 563.4 Zn NPs in Crop Protection 563.4.1 Improvement on Disease Resistance 563.4.2 Enhancement of Stress Tolerance 573.5 Conclusions 57References 584 Nanofertilizer in Enhancing the Production Potentials of Crops 63C. Sharmila Rahale, K.S. Subramanian, and A. Lakshmanan4.1 Introduction 634.2 Nanofertilizers 644.3 Synthesis of Nanofertilizer 644.4 Uptake, Translocation, and Fate of Nanofertilizers in Plants 664.5 Percolation Studies to Assess Nutrient Release Pattern 674.6 Application of Nanofertilizers in Plants 684.7 Specific Properties of Nanofertilizers 704.8 Biosafety Issues in Nanofertilizer Application 704.9 Nanofertilizer Studies at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) 714.10 Conclusion 74References 755 Potential Applications of Nanobiotechnology in Plant Nutrition and Protection for Sustainable Agriculture 79Vishnu D. Rajput, Abhishek Singh, Tatiana M. Minkina, Sudhir S. Shende, Pradeep Kumar, Krishan K. Verma, Tatiana Bauer, Olga Gorobtsova, Svetlana Deneva, and Anna Sindireva5.1 Introduction 795.2 Nanomaterial in Sustainable Crop Production 815.2.1 Nanomaterial in Soil Management 815.2.2 Nanomaterials in Nutrient Use Efficiency (NUE) 825.2.3 Nanomaterials in Plant Protection 825.2.3.1 Nanomaterials as Nano-Pesticides 835.2.3.2 Nanomaterials as Nano-Insecticides 835.2.3.3 Nanomaterials as Nano-Fungicides 845.2.3.4 Nanomaterials as Nano-Herbicides 845.3 Nanomaterials in Crop Improvement 855.3.1 Abiotic Stresses 855.3.1.1 Drought Stress 865.3.1.2 Salinity Stress 865.4 Nanomaterials in Plant Genetic Engineering 875.4.1 Nanoparticle’s Mediated Transformation 875.4.2 Non-vector Mediated Transformation 875.5 Future Perspectives and Challenges 885.6 Conclusions 89References 896 Immunity in Early Life: Nanotechnology in Seed Science and Soil Feed 93Garima Shandilya and Kirtan Tarwadi6.1 Introduction 936.2 Nano Frontiers in Agricultural Development 946.2.1 Nanoagronomics 946.2.2 Smart Systems for Agrochemicals Delivery 946.2.2.1 Nanocapsules 946.2.2.2 Liposomes 966.2.2.3 Nanoemulsions 966.2.2.4 Nanogels 966.2.2.5 Nanoclays 976.2.2.6 Nanodispersions 976.2.2.7 Nanobionics 976.3 Nanotechnology in Agriculture 996.3.1 Effects of Nanoparticles on Plants 996.3.2 Nanoparticle-Plant Hormones Interactions 996.3.3 Effect of Nanoparticles on Crop Quality 1006.4 Immunity in Early Life 1016.4.1 Seed 1016.4.2 Pre-sowing Treatments and Priming as Tools for Better Seed Germination 1026.4.3 Phenomenon of Seed Priming 1026.4.4 Gene Therapy for Seed 1036.4.5 Immuning Seeds Using Nanoparticles 1046.5 Nanotechnology in Soil Feed and Waste Water Treatment 1046.6 Conclusions 106References 1077 Effects of Natural Organic Matter on Bioavailability of Elements from Inorganic Nanomaterial 113Martin Urík, Marek Kolenčík, Nobuhide Fujitake, Pavel Diviš, Ondřej Zvěřina, Illa Ramakanth, and Martin Šeda7.1 Introduction 1137.2 Effect of Natural Organic Matter on Nanoparticles’ Aggregation and Agglomeration 1147.3 Natural Organic Matter Effects on Nanoparticles’ Dissolution 1167.4 Effect of Mutual Interactions of Natural Organic Matter and Nanoparticles on Their Bioavailability 1177.5 Conclusions 120References 1208 Induction of Stress Tolerance in Crops by Applying Nanomaterials 129Yolanda González-García, Magín González-Moscoso, Hipólito Hernández-Hernández, Alonso Méndez-López, and Antonio Juárez-Maldonado8.1 Introduction 1298.2 Impact of Stress on Crops 1308.2.1 Losses of Crops Due to the Main Stress Conditions 1308.2.2 Plant Responses to Abiotic Stress 1338.2.3 Plant Responses to Biotic Stress 1358.3 Impact of Nanomaterials on Crops 1378.3.1 Induction of Tolerance to Abiotic Stress by the Application of Nanomaterials 1388.3.2 Induction of Tolerance to Biotic Stress by the Application of Nanomaterials 1468.4 Conclusions 151References 1519 Nanoparticles as Elicitors of Biologically Active Ingredients in Plants 170Sumaira Anjum, Amna Komal, Bilal Haider Abbasi, and Christophe Hano9.1 Introduction 1709.2 Routes of Exposure, Uptake, and Interaction of NPs into Plant Cells 1729.3 Elicitation of BAIs of Plants by Nanoelicitors 1759.3.1 Elicitation of Polyphenols by Nanoelicitors 1759.3.2 Elicitation of Alkaloids by Nanoelicitors 1849.3.3 Elicitation of Terpenoids by Nanoelicitors 1869.3.4 Elicitation of Essential Oils by Nanoelicitors 1899.4 Mechanism of Action of Nanoelicitors 1919.5 Conclusions 191References 19310 Dual Role of Nanoparticles in Plant Growth and Phytopathogen Management 203Tahsin Shoala10.1 Introduction 20310.2 Nanoparticles: Notion and Properties 20610.3 Mode of Entry, Uptake, Translocation and Accumulation of Nanoparticles in Plant Tissues 20710.4 Nanoparticle–Plant Interactions 20810.5 Impact of Nanoparticles 20910.5.1 Influence of Nanoparticles on Photosynthesis 20910.5.2 Nanoparticles in Plant Growth 21110.5.3 Nanoparticles in Enhancement of Root and Shoot Growth 21210.5.4 Impact of Nanoparticles in Phytopathogen Suppression 21310.6 Conclusions 214References 21511 Role of Metal-Based Nanoparticles in Plant Protection 220Avinash P. Ingle and Indarchand Gupta11.1 Introduction 22011.2 Nanotechnology in Agriculture 22111.3 Metal-Based Nanoparticles in Plant Protection 22211.3.1 Silver-Based Nanoparticles 22211.3.2 Copper-Based Nanoparticles 22411.3.3 Zinc-Based Nanoparticles 22511.3.4 Magnesium Oxide Nanoparticles 22611.3.5 Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles 22711.3.6 Other Metal-Based Nanoparticles 22811.4 Possible Antimicrobial Mechanisms for Metal-Based Nanoparticles 22811.4.1 Cell Membrane Damage 22911.4.2 ROS Generation 23011.4.3 DNA Damage 23011.5 Conclusions 230References 23112 Role of Zinc-Based Nanoparticles in the Management of Plant Diseases 239Anita Tanwar12.1 Introduction 23912.2 Plant Diseases and Their Symptoms 24112.3 Importance of Zn for Plants 24212.4 Distribution of Zn in Plants 24212.5 Efficiency of Zn in Plants 24312.6 Deficiency Symptoms 24312.7 Effects of Zn on Microbial Activity 24512.8 Nanotechnology and Agriculture 24612.9 Zn-Based Nanoparticles in Plants 24712.9.1 ZnONPs 24912.9.1.1 Antimicrobial Activity 25012.9.1.2 Seed Germination and Plant Growth 25112.9.1.3 Mechanism of Action of ZnONPs 25212.10 Conclusions 253References 25313 Effects of Different Metal Oxide Nanoparticles on Plant Growth 259Harris Panakkal, Indarchand Gupta, Rahul Bhagat, and Avinash P. Ingle13.1 Introduction 25913.2 Effects of Nanoparticles on Plant Growth and Development 26113.2.1 Effect of Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles on Plant Growth 26213.2.2 Effect of Copper Oxide Nanoparticles on Plant Growth 26313.2.3 Effect of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles on Plant Growth 26413.2.4 Effect of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles on Plant Growth 26413.2.5 Effect of Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles on Plant Growth 26613.2.6 Effect of Other Nanoparticles on Plant Growth 26813.3 Mechanisms of Nanoparticles and Plant Interactions 26913.4 Conclusions 271References 27114 Biostimulation and Toxicity: Two Levels of Action of Nanomaterials in Plants 283Adalberto Benavides-Mendoza, Magín González-Moscoso, Dámaris Leopoldina Ojeda-Barrios, and Laura Olivia Fuentes-Lara14.1 Introduction 28314.2 Induction of Biostimulation or Toxicity in Plants Due to the Physical Properties of the NMs 28514.3 Induction of Biostimulation or Toxicity in Plants Due to the Chemical Properties of NM Core and the Composition of Corona 29014.4 Examples of Biphasic Phenotypic Responses of Plants to Nanomaterials Concentration 29414.5 Conclusions 298References 29915 Toxicological Concerns of Nanomaterials in Agriculture 304Ryan Rienzie and Nadeesh Adassooriya15.1 Introduction 30415.2 Uptake and Translocation of Nanomaterials 30515.3 Mechanisms and Factors Affecting Uptake and Translocation of Nanomaterials 30515.4 Nature and Factors Affecting Nanomaterial Phytotoxicity 30615.5 Non-Metallic Nanomaterials 30715.5.1 Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs) 30715.5.1.1 Graphene Family Nanomaterials 30815.5.1.2 Mesoporous Carbon Nanoparticles 30815.5.1.3 Carbon Dots 30815.5.2 Nanoclay-Based Systems 30915.5.3 Nano-Hydroxyapatite (nHAP) 30915.5.4 Nanoplastics 30915.6 Metallic Nanoparticles 31015.6.1 Silver Nanoparticles (AgNPs) 31015.6.2 Mn-Based Nanoparticles 31015.6.3 NiO Nanoparticles 31115.6.4 ZnO Nanoparticles 31115.6.5 TiO2 Nanoparticles 31215.6.6 Au Nanoparticles 31215.6.7 Cu-Based Nanoparticles 31315.6.7.1 Cu Nanoparticles 31315.6.7.2 CuO Nanoparticles 31315.6.8 MgO Nanoparticles 31415.6.9 CdS Nanoparticles 31415.6.10 Fe-Based Nanoparticles 31415.6.11 Al2O3 Nanoparticles 31515.6.12 Rare Earth Element Nanoparticles 31515.6.13 Multi-Metallic Nanoparticles 31515.7 Alteration of Toxic Effects Caused by Nanomaterials; Co-Exposure Experiments 31615.8 Effects of Nanomaterials on Enzymatic and Non-Enzymatic Defense Systems 31815.9 Antioxidant-Mediated Removal of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) 31815.10 Effects of Nanomaterials on Micro and Macro Organismal Communities Associated with Soil in Agroecosystems 31915.10.1 Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) 31915.10.2 Effects of Nanomaterials on Soil Dwelling Earthworms 32015.10.3 Effects on Organisms Associated with Aquatic Ecosystems 32115.11 Conclusions 321References 322Index 331