TT.I.F.1
WS.IV.A.1

SYNOPSIS

With the world’s population expected to exceed nine billion by 2050, scientists are working to develop new ways to meet rising global demand for food, energy and water without increasing the strain on natural resources. Organizations including the World Bank and FAO are calling for more innovation to address these issues. Nanotechnology is emerging as a promising way to promote plant growth and development. This idea is part of the evolving science of precision agriculture, in which farmers use technology to target their use of water, fertilizer and other inpuTT.
Engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) have become the focus of research into their potential for plant protection and fertilizing, mainly owing to their greater specific surface area. Some ENMs have been already proved to stimulate plant growth and improve their biochemical parameters. However, a side from the benefits, we still lack a systematic investigation about the impacts of these materials on the agroecosystem and the specific relationships between nanomaterials and crops has not been properly investigated yet.