ABSTRACT

Nanotechnology is a branch of advanced science which mostly deals with production, manipulation and implementation of materials ranging in nanometers. It has been evolving into an essential area of science through the efforts of multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary scientific fields. The particles are synthesized by chemical or physical processes, but currently biological syntheses (green synthesis) of nanoparticles are being carried out by different macro or microscopic organisms, such as plants, bacteria, fungi, seaweed and microalgae. The nanoparticle conjugation with different areas of science is presently being evaluated for its efficacy in developing novel therapeutic nanosized materials with upsurge applications in the field of food and agriculture. Because of their unique physical, chemical and biological properties, such as size, charge or surface plasmon resonance, polydispersity, stability and biocompatibility, these materials are found to be highly useful in the development of nano-enabled biosensors, nano based biocontrol agents, nano-enabled membranes and controlled delivery of agrochemicals as well as therapeutics and nano-based bioremediation techniques in food and agriculture. Thus, the current chapter is focused on different applications of nanotechnology, as well as factors that limit their application and its future prospective with special importance on food and agriculture.