Technology readiness and overcoming barriers to sustainably implement nanotechnology-enabled plant agriculture

Thilo Hofmann (Corresponding author), Gregory Lowry (Corresponding author), Subhasis Ghoshal, Nathalie Tufenkji, Davide Brambilla, John Robert Dutcher, Leanne M. Gilbertson, Juan Pablo Giraldo, Joseph Matthew Kinsella, Markita Patricia Landry, Wess Lovell, Rafik Naccache, Mathews Paret, Joel Pedersen, Jason Unrine, Jason C. White, Kevin James Wilkinson

Publications: Contribution to journalArticlePeer Reviewed

Abstract

Nanotechnology offers potential solutions for sustainable agriculture, including increasing nutrient utilization efficiency, improving the efficacy of pest management, mitigating the impacts of climate change, and reducing adverse environmental impacts of agricultural food production. Many promising nanotechnologies have been proposed and evaluated at different scales, but several barriers to implementation must be addressed for technology to be adopted, including efficient delivery at field scale, regulatory and safety concerns, and consumer acceptance. Here we explore these barriers, and rank technology readiness and potential impacts of a wide range of agricultural applications of nanotechnology. We propose pathways to overcome these barriers and develop effective, safe and acceptable nanotechnologies for agriculture.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)416-425
Number of pages10
JournalNature Food
Volume1
Issue number7
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 16 Jul 2020

Austrian Fields of Science 2012

  • 105906 Environmental geosciences
  • 210006 Nanotechnology

Keywords

  • agriculture
  • environmental science
  • nanoscience and technology
  • plant sciences
  • NANOMATERIALS
  • MECHANISMS
  • NANOPARTICLE EXPOSURE
  • PESTICIDES
  • SLOW-RELEASE
  • DISEASE
  • GROWTH
  • FERTILIZERS
  • SOIL
  • PHOTOSYNTHESIS

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