Effects of Metal Nanoparticles on Plants and Related Microbes in Agroecosystems

Utilizing nanoparticles with a size of less than 100 nm, nanotechnology present an unheard of chance to create concentrated supplies of nutrients with increased absorption rates, effective use, and minimal losses. By encapsulating plant nutrients in nanoparticles, using a thin layer of nanomaterials to coat nutrients of plant, and distributing as nanosized emulsions, nanofertilizers are created. In plant leaves, nanopores and stomatal apertures enable the uptake of nanomaterials and their penetration inside leaves, increasing nutrient utilization efficiency (NUE). Through plasmodesmata, which are 50–60 nm-wide nanoscale passageways between cells, nutrients from nanofertilizers are transported and delivered to cells more efficiently. Field crops had higher yields (6–17%) and better nutritional quality thanks to nanofertilizers’ higher NUE and noticeably lower nutrient losses. Since the last few decades, nanotechnology has been widely applied in the global agricultural system. However, because of its toxicity and potentially harmful effects on both the environment and human health, it is still difficult to use nanotechnology in fertilizers. However, the use of nanoparticles as a tool may be advantageous for crops that are essential to agriculture. They have shown a variety of impacts on absorption, translocation, and morphological and physiological changes in different plant sections. The several agriculturally grown crops’ responses to different nanoparticles were dose-dependent and might differ from species to species. The uncontrolled deposition of metal-based nanoparticles in terrestrial ecosystems, particularly in agricultural systems, has significantly endangered the variety of beneficial microbial communities, including soil bacteria and fungi.