ABSTRACT
Agriculture is continuously expanding to feed the growing population, but this is at the expense of Earth’s land and resources. Nanotechnology can be used to create more sustainable farming practices and mitigate the impact of agriculture through nanopesticides, nanoherbicides, and nanofertilizers. Nanoparticles, specifically those used in fertilizer, have shown to enhance crop growth, improve nutrient uptake, and reduce nutrient runoff. Crop growth and yield are improved by longer root length, higher water use efficiency, increased photosynthesis rates, and other benefits. This chapter presents a case study investigating the production and application of graphite nanoparticles (GNPs) on a variety of crops grown in field trials in China. Results showed 10–50% increases in yield when combining conventional fertilizer with the GNPs while simultaneously reducing nutrient application by 30%. The benefits and impacts of nanofertilizers depend on the type, size, composition, and concentration of the nanoparticle in addition to the type of crop and environmental conditions where the nanofertilizer is applied. The benefits and limitations of nanoparticles, including unknown impacts of nanofertilizers and regulatory implications, are essential to consider in the research and application of nanotechnology in agriculture.
