Nanostructured Polymeric Tools for the Treatment and Diagnosis of Plant Diseases and Applications in Field Crops

Currently, phyto-nanotechnology has a crucial impact on the significant changes in agriculture and general plant sciences since it enables target-specific delivery of nanomaterials (NMs) to crops and other plants. Nanotechnology enables the encapsulation of pesticides in NMs to promote their controlled release, increased permeability, stability, and solubility. The slow release of pesticides prevents the rapid degradation of active ingredients from plat sources, which ensures their greater effectiveness. The development of NMs as promising platforms for plant growth, as nanofertilizers and nanopesticides, has gained great attention in recent years. The application of NMs has been considered an alternative solution to control plant pests including insects, fungi, and weeds. NMs can be used as antimicrobial agents in food packing in which several nanoparticles are in intense research. Using nanobiotechnology it also is possible to apply so-called smart plant sensors that can interact with electronic devices and, consequently, allow higher plant productivity. Furthermore, thanks to different NMs, it is possible the translation of plant chemical signals into digital information that can be monitored by properly selected tools. NMs allow the efficient delivery of fertilizers, pesticides, plant growth regulators, and other similar compounds while reducing their consumption and reducing environmental pollution. NMs can also be designed to increase communication between plant roots and the surrounding soil structure.