Contemporary Suitability of Nanobionics in Agriculture

Attempts to apply nanotechnology in agriculture began with the growing realization that conventional farming technologies would neither be able  to  increase productivity any further nor restore ecosystems damaged by existing technologies back to their pristine state; in particular because the long-term  effects of farming with “miracle seeds” in conjunction with irrigation, fertilizers, and pesticides, have been questioned both at the scientific and policy levels and must be gradually phased out.

Nanotechnology in agriculture has gained momentum in the last decade with an abundance of public funding, but the pace of development is modest even though many disciplines fall under the umbrella of agriculture. One reason this may be is due to the fact that not much information about the safe use of nanomaterials in agriculture system has been accessible in recent years. "Contemporary Suitability of Nanobionics in Agriculture" provides insight into the uses of nanomaterials in agriculture, which will be of particular use for agriculture personnel & beyond. The book includes an overview of nanobionics in agriculture, while also focusing on specific subjects such as recent advances, future outlook, biosafety & regulatory aspects, etc.

Nanotechnologic intervention in farming has bright prospects for improving the efficiency of nutrient use through nanoformulations of fertilizers, breaking yield barriers through bionanotechnology, surveillance and control of pests and diseases, understanding mechanisms of host-parasite interactions at the molecular level, development of new-generation pesticides and their carriers, preservation and packaging of food and food additives, strengthening of natural fibers, removal of contaminants from soil and water, improving the shelf-life of vegetables and flowers, clay-based nano-resources for precision water management, reclamation of salt-affected soils, and stabilization of erosion prone surfaces, to name a few.

Dr. Vishnu D. Rajput is working as “Principal Scientist” and Head of ‘International Laboratory on Nanobiotechnology’ at Southern Federal University, Rostov-on-Don, Russia. His ongoing research is based on the investigation of effective remediation approaches using biochar/nano-biochar based sorbents and nanomaterials. With long experience and experimental work, Dr. Rajput comprehensively detailed the state of research in environmental science about “how nanoparticles/heavy metals interact with plants, soil, microbial community, and the larger environment as well as possible remediation technology using nanoparticles/nano-biochar. In recent work, he is working on nano-bioengineering for soil rhizospheric microbes and enhanced remediation using nanotechnology, CRISPR and metagenomics. Dr. Rajput is included the world’s top 2% scientists (Stanford University, 2023, 2024) and obtained 2nd top rank in Environmental and Earth Science in Russian Federation. Last five years, he received appreciation letters (Letter of Gratitude, Certificate of Honor, Diploma Awards) by Rector of Southern Federal University for breakthrough research in environmental and soil science. Recent projects as a project leader, i.e., BRICS (partnering with India & China), Priority 2030 (Bioengineering of the rhizosphere) and mega project funded by Russian Basic Science Foundation and participating 18 national & international research projects. He is editorial board members of Biochar (ISSN: 2524-7867), Eurasian Journal of Soil Science (2147-4249) and Journal of Soil Science and Agroclimatology (ISSN 2356-1424).

Dr. Arti Goel – Please do share us a brief biography to feature on SpringerLink Website
Dr. Arti Goel is currently working as an Assistant Professor at Amity Institute of Microbial Technology, Amity University, India. After receiving her master’s degree in Botany and doctorate in Microbiology from Mohan Lal Sukhadia University, Udaipur (Rajasthan) – India. She entered the Central Arid Zone Research Institute, Jodhpur, for a postdoctoral fellowship in Microbial and Agricultural Nanotechnology as well as    Nanobiotechnology. She has 20 years of research and 16 years of teaching experience. Her research involved the study of antimicrobial properties of medicinal plants as well as synthesis, characterization and applications of biologically synthesized metal and metal oxide nanoparticles in agriculture with special reference to plant disease management, soil health and fertility improvement etc. Her publications in this field include research papers (National and International), articles (National and International) and patents (filed and granted). She is an Assistant Editor, Regional Editor, Senior Editor and Reviewer of various scientific journals of repute. She has published Research/Review Papers: 17 and Book Chapters: 16 as well as she has done Patents: 14 (Filed), 01 (Granted). Currently she is guiding 03 Ph.D. students and 02 students has already awarded doctorate under her guidance. She has been honoured with FSASc. Award by Society for Advancement of Sciences and Lifetime Achievement FMERC Award by Eudoxia Research Centre, Guwahati, India. She is a lifetime member of the Association of Microbiologists of India.

Dr. Ram Prasad is associated with Department of Botany, Mahatma Gandhi Central University, Motihari, Bihar, India. His research interest includes applied microbiology, plant-microbe-interactions, sustainable agriculture and nanobiotechnology. Dr. Prasad has more than one hundred and fifty publications to his credit, including research papers, review articles and book chapters, and five patents issued or pending and edited or authored several books. Dr. Prasad has 12 years of teaching experience, and he has been awarded the Young Scientist Award (2007), Prof. J.S. Datta Munshi Gold Medal (2009), FSAB Award (2010), American Cancer Society UICC International Fellowship for Beginning Investigators (2014), Outstanding Scientist Award (2015), BRICPL Science Investigator Award (2017) and Research Excellence Award (2018). He has been serving as editorial board members for Frontiers in Microbiology, Frontiers in Nutrition, Phyton - International Journal of Experimental Botany, Academia Journal of Biotechnology and Book Series Editor of Nanotechnology in the Life Sciences by Springer Nature. Previously, Dr. Prasad served as Assistant Professor, Amity University, Uttar Pradesh, India; Visiting Assistant Professor at Johns Hopkins University, USA and Research Associate Professor at Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.

Dr. Tatiana Minkina is the Head of Soil science and land evaluation department of Southern Federal University. The Head of International Master’s Degree Educational Program “Management and estimation of land resources” (2015-2022 years, accreditation by ACQUIN). The area of scientific interest is Soil Science, Biogeochemistry of Trace Elements, and Environmental Soil Chemistry. Soil monitoring, assessment, modeling and remediation using physicochemical treatment methods. Awarded in 2015 with Diploma of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation for many years of long-term work for development and improvement of the educational process, significant contribution to the training of highly qualified specialists. Currently, she is handling projects funded by Russian Scientific foundation, Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, Russian foundation of Basic Research. Member of Expert Group of Russian Academy of Science; the International Committee on Contamination Land; Eurasian Soil Science Societies; the International Committee on Protection of the Environment; the International Scientific Committee of the International Conferences on Biogeochemistry of Trace Elements. Total scientific publications: 757 (389 in English).