Nanotechnologies in Food and Agriculture

Mahendra K. Rai is Professor and Head of the Department of Biotechnology at Amravati University in Maharashtra, India. He has published 210 research papers, more than 100 popular articles in Indian and foreign journals and 31 books. He has received several prestigious awards, including the Father T.A. Mathias Award (1989) from the All India Association for Christian Higher Education, and the Medini Award (1999) from the Department of Environment and Forest, Government of India. Caue Ribeiro and Luiz Mattoso are researchers from the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation, Sao Carlos Nelson Duran is professor at the Institute of Chemistry, Biological Chemistry Laboratory, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Brazil

This book presents a comprehensive overview of new and emerging nanotechnologies. It includes aspects of nanoparticle monitoring, toxicity, and public perception, and covers applications that address both crop growing and treatment of agricultural wastewater. Topics include nanoagrochemicals (nanofertilizers, -pesticides, -herbicides), nanobiosensors, and nanotechnologies for food processing, packaging, and storage, crop improvement and plant disease control. The group of expert authors is led by an experienced team of editors.

Offers a concise overview of applications, monitoring, toxicity, and regulatory aspects

Nanotechnology in food.- Strategic role of nanotechnology in fertilizers: Potentials and limitations.- Nano-fertilizers for balanced crop nutrition.- Nanofertilizers and their smart delivery system.-Nanotechnology applied in agriculture: controlled release of agrochemicals.- Nanobiotechnology strategies for delivery of antimicrobials in agriculture and food.- Nano-developments for food packaging and labeling applications.- Strategic role of nanobiosensors in food: Benefits and bottlenecks.- Role of nanocarriers in delivery of nitric oxide for sustainable agriculture.- Nanoparticles- based delivery systems in plant genetic transformation.- Perspectives in nanocomposites for the slow and controlled release of agrochemicals: fertilizers and pesticides.- Nano-enhanced biotreatment for agricultural waste water.- Nanoecotoxicology: The-state-of-the-art.- Uptake and accumulation of engineered nanomaterials and their phytotoxicity to agricultural crops.