NANO IN AGRICULTURE

AGRICULTURE  NANOTECHNOLOGY

                          Nanotechnology has the potential to revolutionize the agricultural and food industry with new tools for the molecular treatment of diseases, rapid disease detection, enhancing the ability of plants to absorb nutrients etc. Smart sensors and smart delivery systems will help the agricultural industry combat viruses and other crop pathogens. In the near future nanostructured catalysts will be available which will increase the efficiency of pesticides and herbicides, allowing lower doses to be used. Nanotechnology will also protect the environment indirectly through the use of alternative (renewable) energy supplies, and filters or catalysts to reduce pollution and clean-up existing pollutants.

 A.PRECISION  FARMING :

                               Precision farming makes use of computers, global satellite positioning systems, and remote sensing devices to measure highly localized environmental conditions thus determining whether crops are growing at maximum efficiency or precisely identifying the nature and location of problems. Precision farming can also help to reduce agricultural waste and thus keep environmental pollution to a minimum. Although not fully implemented yet, tiny sensors and monitoring systems enabled by nanotechnology will have a large impact on future precision farming methodologies.                                                

                            One of the major roles for nanotechnology-enabled devices will be the increased use of autonomous sensors linked into a GPS system for real-time monitoring. These nanosensors could be distributed throughout the field where they can monitor soil conditions and crop growth. Wireless sensors are already being used in certain parts of the USA and Australia. nanosensors are being used by Honeywell (a technology R&D company with global branches) to monitor grocery stores in Minnesota. This technology enables shop keepers to identify food items which have passed their expiry date and also reminds them to issue a new purchase order.

 B.SMART DELIVERY STSTEMS OF PESTICIDES AND INSECTICIDES:

                            The use of pesticides increased in the second half of the 20th century with DDT becoming one of the most effective and widespread throughout the world. However, many of these pesticides, including DDT were later found to be highly toxic, affecting human and animal health and as a result whole ecosystems. As a consequence they were banned. To maintain crop yields, Integrated Pest Management systems, which mix traditional methods of crop rotation with biological pest control methods, are becoming popular and implemented in many countries, such as Tunisia and India. In the future, nanoscale devices with novel properties could be used to make agricultural  systems “smart”.

                          

                                   Smart devices will act as both a preventive and an early warning system. Such devices could be used to deliver chemicals in a controlled and targeted manner in the same way as nanomedicine has implications for drug delivery in humans. Nanomedicine developments are now beginning to allow us to treat different diseases such as cancer in animals with high precision, and targeted delivery (to specific tissues and organs) has become highly successful. Technologies such as encapsulation and controlled release methods, have revolutionized the use of pesticides and herbicides. Many companies make formulations which contain nanoparticles within the 100-250 nm size range that are able to dissolve in water more effectively than existing ones (thus increasing their activity).

 

 C.OTHER DEVELOPMENTS IN AGRICULTURAL SECTOR:

                               Research has shown that alfalfa plants grown in gold rich soil, absorb gold nanoparticles through their roots and accumulate these in their tissues. The gold nanoparticles can be mechanically separated from the plant tissue following harvest.  Some companies are working on water filtration, others such as Altairnano are

following a purification approach. Altairnano’s Nanocheck contains lanthanum nanoparticles that absorb phosphates from aqueous environments. Applying these in ponds and swimming pools effectively removes available phosphates and as a result prevents the growth of algae.