nano-agriculture
Nano-agriculture is the application of nanotechnology to agricultural systems, using engineered nanomaterials such as nanoparticles and nano-encapsulated compounds to enhance plant growth, nutrient delivery, and disease resistance. This field offers plant scientists precise tools for targeting biological processes at the cellular and molecular level, enabling more efficient uptake of nutrients and agrochemicals than conventional methods allow. The ability to manipulate plant-environment interactions at the nanoscale holds significant promise for improving crop resilience, reducing chemical inputs, and advancing our fundamental understanding of plant physiology.
open_in_new WikipediaEurope PMC · 2026-04-26
Spraying peach trees with a combination of zinc nanoparticles and spirulina algae extract nearly doubled fruit yield and dramatically improved sweetness and firmness while cutting post-harvest rot by nearly half. This simple foliar treatment could offer peach growers a practical, high-impact tool for boosting both quantity and quality of their harvest.
Fruit yield per tree more than doubled (+107.5%) under the optimal treatment of 2500 ppm spirulina extract combined with 6 mL/L zinc nanoparticles.
Fruit sweetness (measured as total soluble solids) increased by 83.7% and firmness improved by 62.9%, significantly enhancing eating quality.
Post-harvest fruit decay dropped by 44.5% with the combined treatment, reducing spoilage losses after harvest.
