Plant Nano Biology 5 (2023) 100046

Contents lists available at ScienceDirect

Plant Nano Biology

journal homepage: www.journals.elsevier.com/plant-nano-biology

Nanotechnology as a powerful tool in plant sciences: Recent developments,

challenges and perspectives
Avnesh Kumari a, b, 1, Varnika Rana c, 1, Sudesh Kumar Yadav a, d, Vinay Kumar c, *
a
Biotechnology Division, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research -Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (CSIR-IHBT), Palampur, Himachal Pradesh
176061, India
b
AcSIR Headquarters CSIR-HRDC Campus, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh 201002, India
c
Department of Botany, School of Basic Sciences, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda 151401, India
d
Center of innovative and Applied Bioprocessing, Mohali, Punjab 140306, India

A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T

Keywords: In today’s global climate emergency, agricultural practices are becoming increasingly unsustainable. There are a
Abiotic stress number of alarming issues that require immediate action, including soil erosion, excessive use of natural re­
Crop productivity sources, biodiversity loss, and an explosion of population. Although agriculture is heavily modernized, with
Genetic engineering
traditional approaches, it is not possible to meet these challenges due to different landscapes, high nutrition
Nanoparticles
demand, and a lack of technology. Aside from adversely affecting agriculture, chemical use has also resulted in
Nanobionics
Smart agriculture serious health issues and undesirable effects on the ecosystem. As a result, nanotechnology will play a significant
role in delivering a well-organized, sustainable agricultural industry by reducing chemicals and addressing
existing problems. A quick disease diagnosis, improved plant nutrient absorption, and increased plant capability
to absorb nutrients can be achieved by nanotechnology in the food and agriculture industries. Agricultural plants
can be protected from insects and pests by nanotechnology acting as sensors to monitor soil and water quality.
Despite their potential, researchers have been unable to understand how these compounds operate, since NPs
either enhance growth or cause cytotoxicity depending on how much concentration is applied. In this article, we
present the most promising nanoparticles used in abiotic stress management and gene editing of plants, as well as
novel nanobionic approaches for improving plant functions and organelles.

1. Introduction influences, the world has started using more justifiable agricultural
practices for a better healthy future (Mishra et al., 2017). However,
There is a huge challenge of feeding the world population in the global agriculture is facing many challenges today, including the control
coming decades, which is one of the Sustainable Development Goals. For of agrochemicals, water pollution, soil degradation, climate change, and
2050 to feed the world’s population, the FAO estimates that the food the continuous spread of plant pathogens and diseases (Durán and
production of the world needs to increase by 70% (Ranganathan et al., Marcato, 2013, Trdan, 2013, Campbell et al., 2014, Prasad et al., 2017a,
2018). It has been acknowledged that agriculture contributes signifi­ 2017b). There is a pressing need for agrochemicals to supply nutrition,
cantly to decent health, environmental contamination, adequate nutri­ to protect crops from insects and pests and to increase the cost of agri­
tion, and economic prosperity. Over the years, agricultural expansion cultural production, further degrading the environment. Moreover,
has been driven mostly by the desire to accelerate the productivity of there is no room for improvement in traditional farming practices, and
land per unit area used for crop production, and this has been achieved existing technologies cannot restore ecosystems that have been damaged
by extensively using fertilizers and pesticides and mistreating soil and by them (Tripathi et al., 2018). In turn, global concerns about agricul­
water (Damalas and Eleftherohorinos, 2011, Dhakate et al., 2022). As tural productivity and sustainability will be raised.
the growth of croplands is incomplete and unable to match the probable The deleterious use of insecticides and pesticides in agricultural
prospects for crop production, in response to accruing environmental systems causes air pollution and water pollution and degrades the health

* Corresponding author.
E-mail addresses: [email protected], [email protected] (V. Kumar).
1
Equally contribution.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plana.2023.100046
Received 15 May 2023; Received in revised form 5 July 2023; Accepted 16 August 2023
Available online 24 August 2023
2773-1111/© 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-
nc-nd/4.0/).
A. Kumari et al. Plant Nano Biology 5 (2023) 100046

and quality of the soil (Bisht and Chauhan, 2020). Additionally, abiotic sustainable environment (Chen et al., 2016). Nano biosensors have been
stresses such as salinity, drought, and flooding are decreasing agricul­ developed to monitor agricultural product quality and to detect patho­
tural yields at a time when world agriculture aims to expand 70% before gens with the objective of enhancing food safety (Singh et al., 2021).
2050 (Lipiec et al., 2013, Lipper et al., 2014). Therefore, its continuous Although a great amount of research data is available in this field,
use without reduction has an ill effect, which will exhaust all-natural several articles have been published that provide a comprehensive re­
resources one day and threaten the earth’s existence as a whole. view of this topic, covering the application of nanotechnology in
The addition of various sustainable practices, such as biofertilizers, different sectors of agriculture, which is still missing in the literature.
biochar, vermicompost, and crop diversification, has improved soil In addition, the use of NPs for managing abiotic stress, enhancing
fertility and crop productivity (Saha and Bauddh, 2020, Barman et al., crop productivity and nanosensors for smart agriculture are also dis­
2022). With the rise of scientific competence, nanotechnology is cussed in detail. The diagrammatic representation of uses of nanotech­
attracting the attention of researchers and is becoming a viable solution nology in agriculture is also provided (Fig. 1). We have also highlighted
to resolve these issues of food security and productivity more efficiently. genetic engineering of plants through nanotechnology and interactions
Additionally, the agronomic applications of nanotechnology in plant of NPs with plants. As a unique reference tool, this review will highlight
sciences (Phyto nanotechnology) have great potential to revolutionize some opportunities and future directions for nanotechnology in agri­
the agriculture sector (Wang et al., 2016). A principal objective of Nano culture and food security for researchers working in different disciplines
based agriculture is to improve crop productivity by enhancing crop of Nano enabled agriculture.
survival under varying climatic conditions, water scarcity, saline water,
and CO2 levels (Usman et al., 2020). There is a pressing need to utilize 2. NPs for increasing crop productivity
nanotechnology, specifically nanoparticles (NPs), to increase crop pro­
duction and quality in agriculture (Kole et al., 2013, Agrawal and As agriculture and food production change, nanotechnology has the
Rathore, 2014). Nanodevices not only work as a powerful weapon but potential to make a significant contribution. An experiment conducted
also have significance in measuring the growth and productivity of recently using zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (NPs) at a concentration of
plants, evaluating soil composition and further making certain changes 0.12 g pot− 1increased grain yield by 42.2% and 74.5% and 63.1% in­
to plant genetic material that will improve plant functions to attain a creases in root fresh weight and dry weight on wheat, respectively (Adil

Fig. 1. Potential roles of nanotechnology in agriculture. The crop yield, improvement of soil health, protection form plant disease and precise farming are some
promising area for utilization of nanotechnology.

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A. Kumari et al. Plant Nano Biology 5 (2023) 100046

et al., 2022). Similarly, in another study, silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) at aluminium oxide nanoparticles (Al2O3 NPs). Using a low concentration
200 mg L− 1 promoted wheat growth (Li et al., 2023). Furthermore, Song (0.01%) of Al2O3 NPs significantly showed growth-promoting effects by
and Kim (2020) used zinc oxide (ZnO) NPs at different concentrations in increasing the fresh weight (14.45%), dry weight (14.28%), root length
lettuce and carrot, in which ZnO at 1000 mg kg− 1 increased the biomass (14.37%), shoot length (17.17%), and leaf area by 13.25% in roselle
of both lettuce and carrot plants. Moreover, the role of silver nano­ plants. However, increased concentrations (0.05%, 0.1%, and 0.5%) of
particles (AgNPs) was also studied on fenugreek (Trigonellafoenum-­ Al2O3 reduced plant growth traits (Abdel et al., 2020). Consequently,
graecum) plants, in which a concentration of 40 mgL− 1 increased the nanofertilizers have the ability to achieve up to 90.6% absorption effi­
shoot length by 32.33 cm, leaves by 13 per plant and shoot dry weight ciencies, making them a highly desirable fertilizer material for crops,
by 2.84 g per plant (Sadak, 2019). and the use of nano fertilizers results in increased crop yields.
Carbon nanomaterials (CNMs) also have the ability to enhance the
growth and yield of different plants and were further evaluated in soy­ 2.2. Nanopesticides
bean. In one study, soybean was treated with 0.1, 100, or
1000 mg kg− 1CNMs, in which the whole-plant N2 fixation potential was Pesticides such as herbicides, fungicides and insecticides suffer from
condensed. Another study Majumdar et al., (2015) revealed that expo­ low use efficacy, with only 40% of the applied pesticide also contrib­
sure of Phaseolus vulgaris seeds to cerium oxide NPs impacted the uting to enhanced crop quality and crop production. With increasing
nutritional quality of seeds at the cellular and molecular levels. Simi­ stresses on agriculture production, there is a progressively crucial
larly, the yield of rice plants was improved by approximately 14.5% by requirement for more effective approaches for delivering pesticide
treating them with carbon dots (CDs). CDs penetrated all parts of the active ingredients (AIs). Many nanomaterials, such as Nano emulsions
plant, including the nucleus, and the concentration of thionin gene (Feng et al. 2016), dendrimers (Liu et al., 2015), Nano capsules (Sun
expression (Os06g32600) was increased by CDs to enhance rice plant et al., 2014) and nanosuspensions (Chin et al., 2011), have been
disease resistance (Li et al. 2018). investigated for the delivery of pesticide AIs. Silica nanomaterials have
also been used for the slow release of pesticides (Qian et al., 2013,
2.1. Nanofertilizers Wanyika, 2014) and antifungal essential oils (Bernardos et al. 2015,
Zhao et al. 2017). Similarly, zinc oxide thiamethoxam nanocomposites
As NPs have a large surface area to volume ratio and fewer imper­ were used against 4th instar Spodoptera litura larvae. The nanocomposite
fections, NPs may provide plants with many advantages in terms of inhibited adult emergence from larvae. Dose-dependent variation in
micronutrient uptake as fertilizers (Zhao et al., 2016). MWCNTs were superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione-S-transferase (GST), and thi­
used as carriers for ZnONPs (nanofertilizers) to enhance the germination obarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) in the treated larvae was
rate of onion seeds. MWCNT-ZnO nanocomposite enhanced the rate of also observed (Jameel et al. 2020). Engineered NPs are also used for 5
mitotic cell divisions and reduced the amount of water required for days as pesticides. Silver and copper NPs have been used as antifungal
germination of onion seeds (Kumar et al., 2018). Such nanofertilizers and antimicrobial agents (Kim et al., 2008, Rajesh et al., 2012). The
carriers will boost the use of NPs as nutrient upregulators in plants. application of Cu(OH)2 nanopesticides induced no visible symptoms of
Similarly, in another study, boron (B) was used as a nanofertilizers in toxicity in lettuce leaves. In addition, foliar application of Cu(OH)2
green bean plants. The concentration of 25 ppm was found to be more nanopesticides meaningfully changed the metabolite contours of lettuce
effective and improved the biomass by 101.44%, whereas the best yield leaves (Zhao et al. 2016).
of 64.13% was observed using 50 ppm and later decreased by 54.16% Silver nanoparticles synthesized from Ocimum basilicum leaf extract
using 100 ppm. Similar contradictory results were also observed for can be safely used to control S.litura, and when compared to other
pomegranate trees, where application of 6.5 mgL− 1 B nanofertilizers synthetic insecticides, they also increased mortality (Jafir et al., 2021).
foliarly increased yield by 30.44% (Davarpanahet al., 2016). In another Likewise, using the leaf extract of the Borago officinalis plant, Ag NPs
study, boron trioxide and zinc oxide nanoparticles at concentrations of were found to be more toxic to the cotton leafworm, Spodoptera littorali
20 ppm and 200 ppm, respectively, yielded a high seed oil percentage (Hazaa et al., 2021). It was found that chitosan nanoparticle (CNP)
and low acidity (Genaidy et al. 2020). application at a concentration of 500 ppm showed the highest mortality
Phosphorus is an essential macronutrient for plant growth, as its of Spodoptera littoralis by 29%, and using a 2000 ppm concentration, the
availability can fix the nitrogen fixing capability of the plant throughout mortality of Locusta migratoria was found to be 22%.
the life cycle. Chaudhary et al. (2021) used nanophase biofertilizer Another study showed the potential of CuNPs against maize peth­
(450 µl) containing phosphate-solubilizing bacteria on Zea mays L. cv. ogens in which 20 ppm CuNPs inhibited three pathogenic fungi, namely,
DH296. The results obtained show that maize seeds upon treatment Macrophomina phaseolina, Bipolaris maydis, and Fusarium verticillioides,
showed significant increases in plant height, root length, seed germi­ whereas 50 ppm CuNPs reduced Rhizoctonia solani. Additionally, it was
nation, grain maturity and crop yield. Similarly, in another study, the found that a 300 ppm concentration of CuNPs was found to be the best
use of nanophosphors fertilizer, i.e., nano-KH2PO4 (0.0781 g L− 1), for seed germination of maize seedlings, as root length and number,
nano-KH2PO4 (0.1563 g L− 1) and nano-KH2PO4 (0.0781 g L− 1) with shoot length fresh weight, and dry weight were found to be greater with
trypsin (0.1 mg L− 1), nano-KH2PO4 (0.1563 g L− 1) with trypsin 300 ppm CuNPs (Dorjee et al., 2023). Recently, among five different
(0.2 mg L− 1) in rice (Oryza sativa L. ssp. indica) resulted in nano-KH2PO4 types of nanoparticles (NPs), such asCo3O4NPs, CuONPs, Fe3O4NPs,
promoting higher physiological efficiency for phosphorus in both roots NiONPs, and ZnONPs, CuONPs at a concentration of 100 mg L− 1
and shoots, which is directly proportional to a higher photosynthetic showed the most effective treatment for the reduction of Fusarium wilt
rate (Miranda-Villagómez et al., 2019). Furthermore, Nagdalian et al. fungal disease in common bean plants (El-Sayed et al., 2023). In another
(2023) studied the effect of selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) on barley study, hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (n-HAP) and mycorrhizal fungi
seeds (Hordéum vulgáre L.)The 5 mg L− 1 concentration of Se NPs together were evaluated for Meloidogyne incognita infection in tomato
showed the best length of roots and sprouts, and 10 mg L− 1 was found plants. The application of n-HAP (200 ppm) significantly increased ju­
to be the best concentration for root thickness. Additionally, in another venile mortality by 195.67% and egg hatching inhibition by 80.71%.
study, the growth and yield of strawberry plants were also improved by The study concluded that n-HAP NP-treated nematode-infected plants
spraying solutions of SiO2, Se and Se/SiO2 nanoparticles at concentra­ not only inhibited infection but also increased the resistance of plants by
tions of 50 and 100 mg L− 1 (Zahedi, Moharrami et al., 2020). However, providing P, N and Ca. Furthermore, mycorrhizal association provides
various doses of NPs may have a negative impact on plants due to their nutrients and helps the plant against Meloidogyne incognita infection
nanosize. Abdel Latef et al. (2020) have reported the effect of seed (Alamri et al., 2022). Therefore, nanopesticides are viable as long-term
priming Egyptian roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) cultivar using pest control agents since they degrade slowly and release active

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A. Kumari et al. Plant Nano Biology 5 (2023) 100046

ingredients gradually (Chhipa, 2017). Nanopesticides, therefore, pro­ all these applications, soil is the largest receptor of NPs. In a study, plant
vide effective and sustainable pest management and have the potential extract-synthesized silver NPs when applied to soil shifted soil pH to­
to reduce the environmental risk associated with synthetic chemicals. wards neutrality, and significant augmentations were detected in water
As sessile organisms, plants are subjected to a variety of abiotic retention, cation exchange capacity, and N/P readiness (Das et al.,
stresses, such as drought, alkalinity, salinity and mineral toxicity that 2018). Acharya et al. (2020) showed that the addition of 0.2%multi­
reduce crop yield. NPs have played a vital role in helping plants cope walled carbon nanotubes to clayey soil enhanced the hydraulic con­
with drought and salinity stress by inducing different responses in plants ductivity of soils and reduced soil cracks. It was found that Nano silica
under abiotic stress, as shown in Table 1. Nano formulation-treated improved soil quality and texture, soil type, and soil enzymatic activity
leaves accumulated high amounts of sugar and showed reduced (Bhat et al., 2021). However, a high dose of NPs adversely affects the
expression of genes responsible for abiotic stress (Guerriero, Sutera activity of a dehydrogenase enzyme, soil nutrient quality and soil
et al., 2021). In another study, rice plants treated with selenium-silica self-cleaning capabilities (Janvier et al., 2007, Jośko et al., 2014). It is
NPs showed enhanced relative water content, membrane stability also important to note that soil pH is another important factor that af­
index and water use efficiency. NPs also improved the drought tolerance fects soil fertility and may be affected by the accumulation of different
ability of strawberry plants by augmenting the activity of antioxidant types of NPs, including Zn, Ag and Cu (Read et al., 2016).
enzymes, including ascorbate peroxidase, catalase, superoxide dismut­ Likewise, NPs also have an effect on the microbial community of
ase (SOD), and guaiacol peroxidase. Biochemical parameters, viz., soils. Titanium dioxide NPs and multiwalled carbon nanotube overdose
anthocyanin, total phenolic compounds (TPCs), and vitamin C, were affected the composition of the microbial populations (Petersen et al.,
also enhanced in nanoparticle-treated strawberry plants (Zahedi et al., 2008, Hu et al., 2010). In a recently published article, the application of
2020). rare earth NPs enhanced soil microbial antibiotic resistance. In addition
to the increase in antibiotic resistance, the total antibiotic resistance
3. Nanoparticles for improving soil quality genes have increased in abundance, targeting all major classes of anti­
biotics (Qi et al., 2019). Dai et al. (2020)reported that exposure of
NPs are currently employed in a variety of products, such as nano­ strawberry plants to CeO2NPs enhanced the length and surface area of
fertilizers, nanopesticides, nonherbicides, delivery of agrochemicals, roots along with chlorophyll content. Rhizosphere microbial diversity
and delivery of DNA, which could serve as nutrient or fertilizer syner­ was reduced, and the composition of bacterial communities was altered
gists for increasing soil quality, crop productivity and yield. As a result of by Ce species in soil. Zhao et al. (2021) used carbon nanoparticles

Table 1
Nanoparticles in managing various stresses in different plants with diverse response.
Plant NPs Stress Response in plant References

Crocus sativus Ag Flooding Augmentation in root length and dry weight of the leaves Rezvani et al. (2012)
Solanum lycopersicum SiO2 Salinity germination rate, root length, and dry weight enhanced Haghighi and Pessarakli
(2013)
Lens culinaris SiO2 Salinity Improves bud length and germination percentage Sabaghnia and
Janmohammadi (2015)
Capsicum annuum SiO2 Salinity plant height, fresh and dry leaf weight, and fruit weight enhanced Tantawy et al. (2015)
Viciafaba SiO2 Salinity Rise in CAT, APX, and POD activity Qados (2015)
S. lycopersicum Ag Salinity MAPK2, P5CS, AREB, and CRK1 genes upregulated Almutairi (2016)
Mentha piperita Fe2O3 Salinity Enhancement in essential oil content 1,8-cineol, cis-sabinene hydrate, germacrene D, and Askary et al. (2016)
β-pinene
Brassica napus CeO2 Salinity plant biomass was increased and efficiency of the photosynthetic apparatus was also Rossi et al. (2016)
augmented
S. lycopersicum TiO2 Salinity Activity of enzymes like SOD, POX, carbon anhydrase, and, nitrate reductase. Enhancement in Khan (2016)
total phenols, proline, lycopene, and glycine betaine
L. culinaris Ag Drought Germination was enhanced Hojjat and Ganjali (2016)
Linumusitatissimum TiO2 Drought Chlorophyll and carotenoid content was enhanced Aghdam et al. (2016)
Glycine max Al2O3 Flooding Upsurge in ribosomal proteins Mustafa and Komatsu (2016)
S. lycopersicum ZnO Salinity RNAm levels of GPX and, SOD enhanced Alharby et al. (2017)
S. lycopersicum ZnO Salinity GPX and, SOD activity enhanced Alharby et al. (2017)
Fragariaananass Fe3O4 Drought growth and quality parameters of plant enhanced Mozafari et al. (2018)
Triticum aestivum Chitosan Drought Improved relative water content, leaf area, photosynthesis rate, chlorophyll content, catalase, Behboudi et al. (2019)
and superoxide dismutase activities
Sugarcane Chitosan Drought Increased root biomass and photosynthesis Silveira et al. (2019)
Musa acuminata SiO2 Salinity Improved chlorophyll content and decreased cell wall damage Mahmoud et al. (2020)
Gossypium hirsutum CeO2 Salinity Increased root length, modified root anatomy and also improved root vitality An et al. (2020)
Dracocephalummoldavica TiO2 Salinity Improveda gronomic traits and augmented antioxidant enzyme activity Gohari et al. (2020)
Pea seedlings Se Salinity Reduced chromosomal abnormalities percentage and enhanced seedling performance El-Araby et al. (2020)
Glycine max Ag Flooding Root length/weight and hypocotyl length/weight of soybean was enhanced Hashimoto et al. (2020)
Triticum aestivum Fe3O4 Drought improved the photosynthesis, and yield Adrees et al. (2020)
Trigonellafoenum- ZnO Salinity peroxidase, lipoxygenase, polyphenol oxidase, and phenylalanine ammonia lyase Noohpisheh et al. (2021)
graecum significantly improved
Triticum aestivum Fe3O4 Salinity Shown positive effects on plant growth, chlorophyll and enzymatic antioxidants El-Saber et al. (2021)
Triticum aestivum FeO Salinity Plant growth was enhanced by 36.7% Manzoor et al. (2021)
Maize Cu Drought Higher plant biomass and leaf water content Van Nguyen et al. (2021)
Catharanthus roseus Chitosan Drought Enhanced alkaloid content and expression of genes such as DAT, STR, PRX1 and GS was also Ali et al. (2021)
augmented.
Wheat SiNPs Drought Decreased H2O2 and MDA content, increased relative water content (RWC), Stress genes, Boora et al. (2023)
DREB2, MYB33 MYB3R, WRKY 19, and SnRK 2.4 upregulated
Salvia abrotanoides CNPs Drought Improved the RWC of the stressed plants, especially at the 70% stress level Attaran Dowom et al. (2022)
Canola FeNPs Drought H2O2 content and lipid peroxidation decreased Rezayian et al. (2023)
Arabidopsis thaliana MSNs Drought Increased root length, number of lateral roots, leaf area and shoot biomass Tran et al. (2023)
Soybean TiO2 NPs Salinity Enhanced germination traits, DPPH free radical scavenging, reduced H2O2 and MDA contents Abdalla et al. (2022)

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A. Kumari et al. Plant Nano Biology 5 (2023) 100046

(CNPs) for growing corn (Zea mays L.) in two different agriculture soils, Eruca sativa, Spinacia oleracea, Brassica oleracea and Nasturtium officinale.
Spodosol and Alfisol. As a result of applying 200 mg CNP kg− 1, plants Three rationally designed NPs with different surface charges and
managed to grow taller, yield more biomass, and absorb nutrients more chemistry have been synthesized to target specific leaf compartments
efficiently. This study concludes that CNP amendments may have (Kwak et al., 2017). The stomatal pores (10–15 µm) on both the adaxial
stimulated soil urease activity, which led to high levels of phosphorus and abaxial sides of a leaf are extremely leaky to NPs.
and nitrogen in soils. Previously, similar studies have been reported Luciferase-functionalised silica NPs (SiNP-Luc), luciferin-poly (lactic-­
where Se nanoparticles were used in soil as fertilizer to increase soil co-glycolic acid) PLGA NPs (PLGA-LH2) and Co-A-chitosan (CoA-CS)
fertility. Concentrations of 5 and 10 μg kg–1resulted in the highest plant carriers were used to create light-emitting plants. SiNP-Luc was
growth rate (Gudkov et al., 2020). Therefore, the introduction of NPs designed to enter leaf mesophyll cells and stomatal guard cells and
could manipulate the soil microbiota, leading to diverse responses in the localize near chloroplasts and mitochondria, where the generation of
enzymatic activities of beneficial microbes, changing the pH of the soil ATP is highest. PLGA-LH2and CoA-CS localized within the intercellular
and accelerating the availability of nutritional properties to plants, spaces of leaf mesophyll as releasing reagents to be consequently
opening a new window for soil health improvement (Rajput et al., 2021, transported through membranes and the cell walls (Kwak et al., 2017).
Khan et al., 2022). By inserting purposefully designed nanoparticles into plants, plant
nanobionics can implant non-native functions. Through the symplastic
4. Nanobionics approach and plants pathway, plants absorb nitroaromatic compounds, which are then
transported to the xylem, where they are either absorbed or accumu­
Increasing plant photosynthetic efficiency is a major challenge that lated. A class of peptides from the bombolitin family allows near
must be addressed to cover the food demands of the growing population infrared (NIR) fluorescent SWCNTs to induce specific changes in their
in the changing climate. Plants are naturally occurring sessile organisms conformation in response to nitroaromatic compound binding. The
that have built-in plant signalling pathways to adjust according to bombolitin-SWCNT complex was implanted into the leaves of Spinacia
changes in external environments, which has encouraged the develop­ oleraceaplants via leaf infiltration through the abaxial surface. Then,
ment of plant nanobionics. Consequently, plant nanobionics is an area of picric acid was added via the root and leaf surfaces. In both cases, the
plant sciences that makes use of the interaction of NPs with plants to bombolitin-SWCNT intensity was observed to decrease in response to
engineer plants with novel and superior functions. This approach has the uptake of picric acid by the plant. This information was then
been used to enhance photosynthetic rates in plants. Plants can be communicated via a pair of NIR signals to the standoff detector (Wong
converted into chemical sensors by inserting nanomaterials into the et al., 2017). Arsenic is another toxic metal that poses a threat to humans
leaves of plants. Spinach and watercress-like plants have been used for and ecosystems. SWNT wrapped with oligonucleotide sequences with
detecting explosives such as nitrosamines. Furthermore, it is important high G-/T- content showed a noteworthy enhancement in the fluores­
to ameliorate crop production by improving their photosynthetic effi­ cence intensity of SWCNTs upon the addition of arsenite. This Nano
ciency. Light absorbed by chloroplasts is constrained to the visible sensor was implanted in the leaf mesophyll of cretan brake fern (Pter­
spectrum, which significantly decreases the possible competence of solar iscretica). In this way, arsenite molecules can be detected while being
energy (Sikder et al., 2021). Conjugated polymeric NPs (CPNs) made up transported along the plant vasculature and concentrating in the leaf
of polyfluorene absorb ultraviolet light and emit intense blue light, are laminae (Lew et al., 2021).
potential candidates for light harvesting materials and have the ability Uptake of NPs by plants takes place through the roots and leaves and
to enhance photosynthesis rates. As a proof of concept, conjugated further depends on the plant species, its size, chemical composition,
polymeric NPs made up of poly [2,7- (9,9-dihexylfluorene)-co-alt-p-­ type, and stability of the NPs. In a study, CeO2NPs with a size of 4 nm
phenylene] (PFP) and poly[(9,9-dioctylfluorenyl-2,7-diyl)-co-(1, and positive, negative and neutral charges were used to investigate the
4-benzo- {2,1′,3}- thiadiazole)] (PFBT) on the surface of chloroplasts association between particle surface charge and NP translocation from
absorb ultraviolet light and convert it into visible light that chloroplasts the root to the leaves. The results showed that positively charged NPs
can absorb. Due to the greater light-harvesting property of CPNs, PS II adhered to roots, whereas with time, the negatively charged CeO2NPs
can capture additional light converted by CPNs to oxidize water, which were internalized by the roots and translocated more competently to­
produces extra electrons in the electron-transport chain compared to wards leaves (Stegemeier et al., 2017). Similarly, in another study using
that of natural chloroplasts, resulting in visibly enhanced photosynthetic 20 nm silver NPs in Landoltia punctata,the surface charge on root uptake
activity (Wang et al., 2017). The study demonstrated that nanomaterial was studied, which showed that silver NPs accumulated on the surface of
incorporation into chloroplasts augmented photosynthesis rates. roots and partially penetrated to tissues (Spielman-Sun et al., 2017).
In an experiment conducted by Vatankhah et al. (2023), foliar Plant anatomy also plays a key role in nanoparticle accumulation. A
application of orange carbon dots enhanced the photosynthetic effi­ dicot, for example, absorbs more NP through its roots and leaves than a
ciency of Zea mays. Orange carbon dots also enhance electron transfer monocot due to higher transpiration rates and greater root uptake of
efficiencies in the photosystem due to the high light harvesting capacity water due to larger air spaces in its leaves (Spielman-Sun et al., 2019).
of orange carbon dots (Milenković et al., 2021). Recent studies have According to many studies, NPs can transport themselves to plant tis­
reported that TiO2 NPs at various concentrations (0, 50, and 100 μmol sues. Researchers hypothesized that nanoparticles could be absorbed by
L− 1) upregulated photosynthetic functionality under low photosynthetic another route, namely, through the stomata (Ha et al., 2021). The in­
photon flux density (PPFD) but decreased photosynthetic functionality fluence of the physiochemical properties of NPs taken up by plants was
under high PPFD in radish (Raphanus raphanistrum L.). Rubisco, an investigated using three different-sized gold (Au) NP (3, 10, and 50 nm)
important enzyme involved in ameliorating the photosynthesis rate, has surfaces coated with PVP and citrate (Avellan et al., 2019). Small AuNPs
been reported to be greatly improved by TiO2 NPs in recent studies adhered to the leaf surface compared to 50 nm Au NPs. PVP-coated
(Suganami et al., 2021). Furthermore, in another study, AuNPs stick more on the leaf surface than citrate-capped AuNPs. Zein
chitosan-modified polyethyleneimine NPs (gPEI-Chi) on tobacco leaves NPs when applied to sugarcane internalized through roots (Prasad et al.,
showed the ability to uptake CO2 in vivo when the leaf was placed in a 2017a, 2017b). Lipid-based Nano emulsions, solid lipid NPs and nano­
CO2-rich environment. The NPs not only increased photosynthetic effi­ structured lipid carriers enter the plant via the apoplastic route and
ciency and CO2 storage in plants but also captured CO2 to convert it into symplastic pathway (Nguyen et al., 2016, Pérez-de-Luque, 2017, Prad­
bicarbonate, which reacts with the Rubisco enzyme, enhancing 3-PGA han and Mailapalli, 2017). Recently, (Jia-Yi et al., 2022) discovered that
production in in vitro assays by 20% (Routier et al., 2023). silicon nanoparticles made of chitosan with a size of 166 nm can be
Moreover, the plant nanobionics approach has been applied for the absorbed by rice (Oryza sativa L.) leaves and distributed within them.
production of light-emitting variants of some common plants, such as

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5. Nanosensors for smart agriculture triboelectric nanogenerator made of poly (vinylidene

fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) nanofibers embedded with fluori­
The key resource for food is mainly plants that contribute greatly to nated carbon nanotubes can harvest energy from wind and raindrops.
agricultural production. However, abiotic stress factors such as drought, These nanogenerators can self-attach to plants without affecting their
salinity, incident sunlight, and extreme temperature levels may continue physiological activities. It is very important for the agriculture sector to
to cause harm to plants, resulting in poor yields (Bailey-Serres et al., develop ground-breaking technologies for detecting biomarkers that are
2019, Giraldo et al. 2019, Morris et al., 2020). Unlike human beings, the associated with crop nutritional deficiencies. One such study used
expression of plants is more silent and calls for long-term and incessant portable Nano sensors based on up conversion NPs and graphene oxide
observations. With advancements, nanogenerator-based tools can serve and mixed extracted plant RNA to allow hybridization of target se­
as a sustainable power supply for wireless plant sensors, enabling quences. The fluorescence output was monitored for the presence or
real-time monitoring of the health status of plants (Lan et al., 2021). A absence of the target mRNA sequence. Using this sensor, early Zn

Fig. 2. Utilization of different type of nanomaterials for plant transformation. These components seem to be revolutionary component for biotechnological
intervention in agriculturally important crops.

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A. Kumari et al. Plant Nano Biology 5 (2023) 100046

deficiency was detected in crops by sensing mRNAs encoding cultivars through nanotechnology, despite recent advances in genetic
ZIP-transporters (Giust et al., 2018). engineering.
An oxidative stress marker in aging and disease, hydrogen peroxide
(H2O2) acts as a signalling molecule in a wide variety of signalling 7. Conclusion and future prospects
transduction processes. Similarly, near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent
single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNCTs) were designed and inter­ Nanotechnological interventions will be an important tool for the
faced with leaves of Arabidopsis thaliana plants to enable the optical next generation of agritech revolution. Nanotechnology has provided
monitoring of plant health in response to stresses such as high light, UV- various tools for augmenting the agronomic traits of plants, such as
B, and peptides associated with pathogens(Wu et al., 2020). Further­ increasing the tolerance of plants towards stress, increasing the effi­
more, with advancement, molecular sensors without impairing the ciency of plants against pesticides and fertilizers and providing nano­
fluorescence in the NIR (>1000 nm) have also been created by attaching sensors for smart agriculture and genetic engineering of plants, but in
single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) via guanine on the SWCNT surface, by addition to its potential, nanotechnology is also distressed with chal­
which unspecific movements will be reduced and molecular recognition lenges. To better understand how plants, respond to NPs, more studies
events translated into meaningful and specific fluorescence (Metternich need to be carried out. Different application pathways such as foliar,
et al., 2023). Likewise, graphene, single-walled carbon nanotubes root and soil uptake pathways need to be studied more carefully and
(SWCNTs), multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), graphene nano­ extensively prior to the use of nanoparticles. The application of NPs with
ribbons, and reduced graphene oxide have been used to improve the an appropriate size, amount, and coating and delivery method is
gas-sensing properties of NH3 sensors based on polyaniline (PANI). essential, as high amounts can cause oxidative stress in the cell. Using an
Hydrogen bonds between carboxylated carbon nanotubes and PANI are appropriate amount can target specific plant parts more effectively.
formed by the incorporation of SWCNTs into PANI, which further in­ Moreover, this can also help increase the bioavailability of poorly sol­
creases the interaction between NH3 and the SWCNT–OH/PANI com­ uble soil nutrients. Furthermore, it is expected that nanoparticle corona
posite. The detection of ammonia is achieved using SWCNTs formation will take place in plants when crossing the cell membrane
functionalized with carboxylic groups (Bannov et al., 2021). with proteins and lipids. It remains unclear what coronas may form and
how they will be influenced by diverse surface coatings. The effect of the
6. Genetically engineered plants using nanotechnology corona on NP fate in plants has yet to be explored. Nanoparticles should
be safe for use in a specific plant/tissue, and side effects caused by their
Genetic engineering is used as a tool for enhancing crop productivity nanosized should be assessed.
by increasing its nutritious value, making it disease- and drought-free In addition, it remains unclear how NPs could impact the plant
resistant with the use of fewer environmental resources. Genetic engi­ microbiome and its functions. Investigations are needed to understand
neering tools used in plants suffer from limitations such as specificity to the mechanisms of nanoparticle uptake in plants. An improved under­
a particular species range, low efficiency, and tissue damage, so nano­ standing of the interactions between NPs and cuticles of different com­
particles offer a great advantage in regard to delivering biomolecules to positions is needed to predict NP uptake by plants.
plants without tissue obstruction to facilitate gene editing. With Exposure of plant leaves of different ages to NPs may influence
advancement, nanotechnology has provided various carriers that can nanoparticle adhesion, uptake and mobility due to changes in leaf
deliver plasmid DNA and siRNA in plants. Nanocarriers can also be used properties such as stomatal density or cuticle thickness. These might also
for the delivery of CRISPR–Cas-9 gRNA, thus making nanocarrier- be affected by the conditions in which the plants were grown. In addi­
mediated delivery a vital tool for plant genetic engineering (Fig. 2). tion, because different nanoparticles are solubilized differently, phloem
Furthermore, NPs that have been extensively used in genetic engineer­ loading can differ or plants can behave differently, it would be helpful to
ing are magnetic NPs, carbon nanotubes, and DNA nanostructures. know if similar coatings on different nanoparticles result in similar
Magnetic NPs carrying exogenous DNA were delivered to pollen in the internalization in plants with different uptake and transport mecha­
presence of a magnetic field. The plants pollinated through transformed nisms. In this review, the various aspects of nanoparticle advancement
pollen were used to produce transformed seeds, which were further used and their use for the successful growth of agriculture have been dis­
for the production of transgenic plants. This method is fast, simple and cussed. Here, we have discussed several nanoparticles, such as nano­
capable of multiple gene transformation (Zhao et al., 2017). fertilizers, nanopesticides, nanobionics and nanosensors, that present
Major barriers in plant cell delivery are the cellular membranes and the best intervention for improving crop productivity. By overcoming
endosomal uptake. Carbon nanotubes incubated with plant protoplasts the above-listed leaps, nanotechnology can be used to more efficiently
showed endosome avoidance internalization mode and have been evaluate all the parameters and associated risks. Each technology has
observed to target specific cellular structures, such as plastids, vacuoles pros and cons, so without ignoring the negative effect of nanotechnology
and nuclei (Serag et al. 2011). Another study reported that on the environment, further research is necessary to leverage its benefits
cellulase-immolized carbon nanotubes can perforate through the cell and would be an appropriate next step.
wall and traverse intracellularly through cellulase-generated nanoholes
(Serag et al., 2012). DNA nanostructures with sizes below 10 nm have Ethical approval
shown better internalization into the cytoplasm of plant cells in the
species Nicotiana tabacum, Nicotiana benthamiana, Nasturtium officinale This work was not done on animals.
and Eruca sativa. In addition, siRNA targeting the green fluorescent
protein gene was loaded onto DNA nanostructures and showed that the CRediT authorship contribution statement
nanostructures allowed the silencing of the gene in leaves (Zhang et al.,
2019). Zhang et al., (2021) reported that Avnesh Kumar: Conceptualization, Validation, formal analysis,
polyethylenimine-functionalized gold nanoclusters (PEI-AuNCs), when Writing – original draft. Varnika Rana: Formal analysis and drafting of
delivered directly in the plant, protected siRNA from degradation and manuscript, Sudesh Kumar Yadav: Investigation, Resources. Vinay
enabled efficient gene knockdown. Nanoparticle properties and func­ Kumar: Writing – review & editing, Visualization, Supervision.
tionalization can be improved by a number of additional studies; how­
ever, these initial findings are useful as a starting point for pursuing NPs Declaration of Competing Interest
as a plant biomolecule delivery agent that overcomes the limitations of
conventional approaches. A substantial amount of research is still The authors affirm that we have no identified competing monetary
needed to understand and develop nutritional and high-yielding interests that could influence the work reported in this paper.

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A. Kumari et al. Plant Nano Biology 5 (2023) 100046

Data Availability Boora, R., Sheoran, P., Rani, N., Kumari, S., Thakur, R., Grewal, S., 2023. Biosynthesized
Silica Nanoparticles (Si NPs) Helps in Mitigating Drought Stress in Wheat Through
Physiological Changes and Upregulation of Stress Genes. Silicon 1–13.
No data was used for the research described in the article. Campbell, B.M., Thornton, P., Zougmoré, R., Van Asten, P., Lipper, L., 2014. Sustainable
intensification: What is its role in climate smart agriculture? Curr. Opin. Environ.
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providing the facility for this work. Chen, Y.W., Lee, H.V., Juan, J.C., Phang, S.-M., 2016. Production of new cellulose
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