Toxicity of Nanoparticles in Plants: An Evaluation of Cyto/Morpho-physiological, Biochemical and Molecular Responses, Volume Five in the Nanomaterial-Plant Interactions series, reviews the latest research on toxicological effects of using nanotechnology in plants. Key themes include analyzing plant exposure to nanomaterials, mechanisms of toxicity of nanoparticles to plants, and effects, uptake and translocation of various different nanoparticles. This will be an essential read for any scientist or researcher looking to assess and understand the potential toxicological risks associated with plant nanotechnology. To date, nanotechnology is considered one of the most promising areas of research due to the widespread applications of nanomaterials in plant science and agriculture. However, extensive use of nano-based products raises concerns regarding their toxicity in crop plants, their environmental impact and potential consequences to humans via the food chain.

Nanotechnology has shown great potential to alleviate increasing pressure to meet food needs for our increasing human population, Novel agricultural innovations are required to enhance the health of edible crops and per unit area yield without impacting the associated environment in a negative way. Recent advancements in nanotechnology-based agricultural solutions have proven to help overcome the problems in agriculture that are associated with run-off of essential fertilizers from agricultural soils, low nutrient accumulation by crops, as well as to control insects, pests, and seasonal biotic factors, treatment of wastewater used for irrigation, plant uptake of xenobiotics (heavy metals, pesticides, industrial chemicals, drugs, and so on) that may be present in contaminated soils. Additionally, the consumption of such food crops may result in malnourishment and plant-mediated transfer of toxic substances among humans especially in underprivileged and rural populations.   Agents to stimulate plant growth include various types of nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes, metal, and metal-oxide nanoparticles. Applications of particular nutrients or elements in crop plants can be shown to aid human nourishment (either by directly inducing its uptake or indirectly through enhancing the intracellular levels of other associated elements that ultimately boost the synthesis of the desired nutrient in plants).  It is also important to consider the competence and fate of nanomaterials in soil ecosystems. The entry route of nanomaterials into the environment includes both natural and anthropogenic sources. In order to achieve sustainable and safe use of nanotechnological products in agriculture, similar environmental conditions must be simulated on lab scale with the careful selection of organisms related to agriculture. Thus, emphasis should be placed on the judicial use of nano-enabled products without compromising the sustainability of the environment and human health.  This comprehensive book highlights recent field research as well as contributions from academicians in the lab. This book addresses the major aspects related to nanotechnology, biofortification of crops, and human and environmental health.

Nanotechnology has shown great potential in all spheres of life. With the increasing pressure to meet the food demands of rapidly increasing population, thus, novel innovation and research are required in agriculture. The principles of nanotechnology can be implemented to meet the challenges faced by agricultural demands. Major challenges include the loss of nutrients in the soil and nutrient-deficient plants, which result in a lower crop yield and quality. Subsequently, consumption of such crops leads to malnourishment in humans, especially in underprivileged and rural populations. One convenient approach to tackle nutrient deficiency in plants is via the use of fertilizers; however, this method suffers from lower uptake efficiency in plants. Another approach to combat nutrient deficiency in humans is via the use of supplements and diet modifications; however, these approaches are less affordably viable in economically challenged communities and in rural areas. Therefore, the use of nano-fertilizers to combat this problem holds the greatest potential. Additionally, nanotechnology can be used to meet other challenges in agriculture including enhancing crop yield, protection from insect pests and animals, and by use of nano-pesticides and nano-biosensors to carry out the remediation of polluted soils. The future use of nanomaterials in soil ecosystems will be influenced by their capability to interact with soil constituents and the route of nanoparticles into the environment includes both natural and anthropogenic sources. The last decade has provided increasing research on the impact and use of nanoparticles in plants, animals, microbes, and soils, and yet these studies often lacked data involving the impact of nanoparticles on biotic and abiotic stress factors. This book provides significant recent research on the use of nano-fertilizers, which can have a major impact on components of an ecosystem. This work should provide a basis to further study these potential key areas in order to achieve sustainable and safe application of nanoparticles in agriculture.

This new volume explores the important and cutting-edge roles that nanotechnology can play in facilitating sustainable agriculture. It provides recent updates on nanobiotechnology in soil science, plant breeding, food science, agricultural tool design and utilization, as well as the impacts of such approaches on properties of soils and plants and other environmental factors. The volume looks at the many roles of nanotechnology as a state-of-the art tool in sustainable agriculture, such as for crop production and protection, in the creation and application of nano-pesticides, to enhance soil fertility and soil health for improved plant growth, as plant protective agents against pathogenic microbes and pests, as a mitigating factor of plant abiotic stress, and more. It also discusses the behavior of nanomaterials in soil and interaction with soil biota. The volume goes on to explore emerging nanotechnological tools and techniques for crop improvement, which include space-inspired speed breeding for crop improvement, nanoparticles as sensing materials, plant nanobionics, nanopore DNA sequencing, and more. Nanotechnology for Sustainable Agriculture: An Innovative and Eco-Friendly Approach will be an important resource on sustainable agriculture and crop improvement with the help of the recent and emerging tools of nanotechnology.

This book is devoted to sewage sludge, its sustainable management, and its use and implications on soil fertility and crop production. The book traces the main chemical and biological properties of sewage sludge, and covers topics such as sewage sludge biostabilization and detoxification, biological and thermochemical treatment technologies, emerging nutrient recovery technologies, the role of microorganisms in sewage sludge management, and the sustainable use of sewage sludge as fertilizer in agriculture. The book offers a valuable asset for researchers, scholars and policymakers alike.

This edited volume focuses on the core aspects of sugarcane production-management under stressful environments as well as innovative strategies for augmenting crop growth & productivity through intrinsic and extrinsic manipulations. The various chapters aim at bringing out comprehensive and advance information on different aspects of sugarcane cultivation under stress environments and impact of climate change on the sustainability of sugarcane production. The book encompasses information about crop production management, physiological & nutritional requirements, ratooning, ripening and post-harvest losses management. It also delineates various technologies that support the continued use and improvement of sugarcane as renewable source of food, fiber and bio-energy. The manipulations at cellular and molecular levels, molecular breeding approaches and post-harvest technologies are also included. The area under sugarcane cultivation is gradually increasing because of its diversification potential. The high productivity and biomass of the cane crop also makes it a key source for use as bio-energy crop and a promising raw material for bio-based agro-industries. However, poor crop & biomass productivity due to abiotic stress is the foremost constraint in its future commercial exploitation as sustainable feed-stock for bio-based industries. It is therefore imperative to understand the cellular-molecular modulation responsible to productivity barrier under specific stress situation(s) for better sugarcane quality and quantum under field condition. Some of these innovative approaches are delineated in this book. This book is of interest to progressive sugarcane growers, millers, industrial entrepreneurs, sugarcane scientists, cane development and extension officers, sugar industry managers and valuable source of reference worldwide.

This book is devoted to sewage sludge, its sustainable management, and its use and implications on soil fertility and crop production. The book traces the main chemical and biological properties of sewage sludge, and covers topics such as sewage sludge biostabilization and detoxification, biological and thermochemical treatment technologies, emerging nutrient recovery technologies, the role of microorganisms in sewage sludge management, and the sustainable use of sewage sludge as fertilizer in agriculture. The book offers a valuable asset for researchers, scholars and policymakers alike.

This book is a compilation of latest work in the field of urban soil management. It explores the global status of urban soils and puts forwards methods for sustainable utilization of urban soils and green spaces.Urban soil study is a new frontier of soil science. Urban soils research is challenging due to complexity of classification, spatial-temporal variability, exposure to pollution and the predominant effect of the anthropogenic factor on soil formation. Management of urban soils and green spaces is an important aspect for developing sustainable spaces. This is a comprehensive collection of information for the students, researchers, landscape architects understanding and maximizing the benefits of soils in urban ecosystems.