Nanotechnology in Regulation of Growth and Stress Tolerance in Vegetable Crops
摘要
By recent development in industry, agricultural ecosystems have been adversely influenced by detrimental environmental changes, which have affected plant growth, development, physiology, and production. Abiotic and biotic stresses impose limitations on global agricultural production and food security. Nanotechnology has arisen as an innovative strategy for enhancing crop yield by employing nanoscale substances such as nanofertilizers, nanofungicides, and nanopesticides. Nanoparticles (NPs) are effective compounds in order to improve the quality and quantity of crop production under adverse environmental conditions. NPs have the potential to enhance plant resilience against stressors by fortifying the physical barrier, enhancing photosynthesis, stimulating defensive enzyme activity, augmenting antistress and antioxidant substances, and modulating the expression of genes associated with defense responses. Nanotechnology finds various uses in vegetable cultivation, such as enhancing seed germination, promoting seedling growth, improving crop yield and quality, and detecting and managing biotic and abiotic stress factors. This chapter discusses impacts of diverse abiotic and biotic stresses on vegetable crops, the susceptibility, and beneficial aspects of NP application in improving yield and quality of vegetable crops. It also considers the possible environmental and health repercussions stemming from the widespread application of NPs.