ABSTRACT
The effects of nanoparticles (NPs) on plants are encouraging and depend on the crop species, characteristics of the NPs, type of application, and climatic and soil factors. Knowledge derived from research sheds light on its use to improve desirable plant parameters. Nanotechnology has brought many benefits to our daily lives. The benefits it provides in agriculture are numerous; the most researched is the protection against pathogens acting directly on the cells of the phytopathogen. Another benefit is promoting the activation of the plant’s defense mechanisms against phytopathogens. The activation of genes for resistance to stress factors mediated by nanomaterials is another highly studied and promising area for food production in agricultural areas with extreme climates, where plants face hydric and saline stress due to high or low temperatures, and excess or lack of minerals among others. In this chapter, nanomaterials (NMs) are addressed as protectors of plant health against attack by phytopathogens and as plant nutrients, as well as possible toxicity risks, which is an issue of the utmost importance due to the need to feed the growing world population.
