Seed Priming with Fruit and Vegetable Waste-based Nanoparticles: A Sustainable Green Approach

Global cooperation and commitment are essential to reduce the effects of climate change, resource scarcity, and biodiversity decline on farming systems, and guaranteeing food availability for future generations is crucial. Addressing these challenges requires a revolutionary shift in farming practices to boost crop production while ensuring the sustainability and value of food. Businesses and households that handle fruits and vegetables generate a large amount of peel waste. This results in financial losses, nutritional deficiencies, and serious environmental problems. By itself, processing fruits and vegetables generates 25–30% of waste, which is a significant amount. Fruit and vegetable peel extract nanoparticles are used in seed coating or nano-priming to increase germination, seedling vigor, early plant growth and protect from biotic and abiotic factors. This natural approach can improve seed performance without the need for chemical treatments, aligning with sustainable agricultural practices. Consequently, using seed nano-priming significantly minimizes the need for fertilizers and pesticides. The application of machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) in nano-primed seeds can bring about numerous advantages by improving different facets of seed diagnostics, crop management, and agriculture as a whole. This review consolidates recent advancements in the field, providing insights into the challenges and prospects of applying nanotechnology in seed nano-priming. The presented findings contribute to the ongoing discussion on sustainable agricultural practices, underscoring the potential of waste-mediated nano-priming of seed as a crucial element in achieving agricultural resilience and productivity.