Garima Awasthi
Nanomaterials in biology is a versatile tool for enhancing plant growth and development, and yield. Nanotechnology facilitates improvement in agricultural production by amplifying the input efficiency and reducing relevant losses. Nanomaterials provide wider and specific surface area to agrochemicals and act as inimitable carriers to enhance nutrient bioavailability and accumulation of nutrient elements in crop plants. Nanomaterials can also be used for the crop protection. For this purpose, an inclusive understanding of nanotechnology practices and the effect of nanomaterials on the physiological, biochemical, and molecular level are needed. Nanotechnology can also be helpful to plant growth through technological interventions like nanosensors and nanofilters, to help monitor and manage the crop growth and development. The synthesis of nanoparticles can be based on chemical methods and can also be achieved through green plant-based methods. This review summarizes the utilization of plants for nanoparticle synthesis through green methods, effects of nanoparticles on growth and development of plant, and the applications of nanoparticles as fertilizers, pest control agents and in post-harvest processing of crop produce. The review also addresses various physical aspects of nanotechnology i.e., nanosensors, nanofiltration, diligence farming, and fabricated nanoparticles.