Nano-innovations for Enhancing Climate Resilience in Millets
摘要
Millets are resilient cereal crops, well-suited to adverse agro-climatic conditions, yet their productivity is frequently hampered by abiotic and biotic stresses such as drought, salinity, pests, and diseases. Addressing these challenges requires innovative solutions to sustain millet production, especially in the face of climate change. Nanotechnology, as a cutting-edge interdisciplinary field, offers a promising approach to enhance millet resilience and productivity. This chapter explores the application of nanotechnology for mitigating abiotic stresses like drought and salinity through nano-based fertilizers, water retention systems, and stress-responsive nanomaterials. Additionally, it examines how nanomaterials, such as nanoparticles and nanosensors, can combat biotic stresses by delivering targeted pesticides, enhancing plant immunity, and enabling real-time stress detection. Advances in smart delivery systems, nano-coatings, and antimicrobial nanoparticles are highlighted as transformative tools for protecting millet crops while minimizing environmental impacts. The chapter also delves into the potential risks, challenges, and future prospects of integrating nanotechnology in millet agriculture, emphasizing the need for sustainable and scalable applications. Through the improvement of yield, resilience, and crop stress research, this work may have a significant influence on millet farming in the future. It is also crucial to remember that using nanomaterials in agriculture needs to be done carefully and under the supervision of thorough safety and risk analyses.