Deciphering the Impact of Nanoparticles on Microbiomes of Soils and Plants

The exploitation of nanotechnology for agricultural purposes has catapulted the demand for nanoparticles to a high level, simultaneously increasing the scope of their interactions with plant and soil microbiomes. Plant systems inherently host millions of organisms comprising bacteria, fungi and amoebae through interactions like commensalism, neutralism and predation. These microbiomes aid the growth and survival of plants in their habitats under stressful conditions. Plant tissues like phylloplane, endosphere and rhizosphere are the main parts that host humongous numbers of endophytes. Microbes comprise 90% of the biomass content of the soil, which makes them indispensable for the survival of plants. Nanoparticles used for promoting the growth of plants affect the latter’s proliferation as well as the microbiome associated with plants and the soil. The direct or indirect pumping of nanoparticles into the soil not only affects the physical and mechanical properties of the soil and the growth potential of plants but also causes disturbances within the microbial communities associated with plants and the soil. This chapter discusses the role of nanoparticles in agriculture, their fate in the soil and the effects of nanoparticles on the microbiome of plants and the soil.