Nanotechnology for cargo delivery with a special emphasis on pesticide, herbicide, and fertilizer

Organic nanocarriers (e.g., polymeric micelles and vesicles, liposomes, dendrimers, and hydrogels) and inorganic nanocarriers (e.g., quantum dots, gold, and mesoporous silica nanoparticles) used in therapy are designed to show enhanced pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiles and reduced side effects over conventional formulations due to their nanoscale size and precise physicochemical characteristics. Nanomaterials that interact with different ligands can predictably target cancer cells and effectively deliver encapsulated payloads. The engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) could be built as “magic bullets” to deliver agrochemicals in a very controlled manner to specific tissues. The agronomic use of nanotechnology in plants (phytonanotechnology) has the ability to modify traditional plant production processes, enabling the controlled release of agrochemicals (e.g., fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides) and the targeted delivery of biomolecules (e.g., nucleotides, proteins and activators). Better understanding of the interactions between nanoparticles (NPs) and plant responses, as well as their uptake, location and behavior, might revolutionize crop production through improved disease resistance, utilization of nutrients, and crop yield. The utilization of nanoparticles as fertilizers can enable the vegetation to use nutrients effectively and thereby increase food supply. The main objective of this chapter is to discuss target specific delivery of nanoparticle encapsulated payload substances in a safe and reproducible manner at the proper time to promote plant growth, disease control, plant breeding and postharvest quality control and controlled release of fertilizer and pesticide.