Use of Nanotechnology in Quality Improvement of Economically Important Agricultural Crops

Increased crop production while maintaining sustainability in agroecosystems is the thrust of modern technologies. Biotic and abiotic stresses are the major challenges faced by agriculture in times of climate change, emerging pests and diseases and crop behaviour. Hence, development of agricultural technology becomes necessary to cope with these challenges. Though nanobiotechnology has demonstrated envious benefits in agriculture and food processing, its advancements remain at the laboratory and pilot scale. The Indian government has supported Nano Mission in last decade and supports expansion and commercial applications of nanotechnology by encouraging participation of private sector investments. The concerns related to the availability and synthesis of nanomaterials, toxicity and health hazards associated with nanoparticles, besides regulatory framework, are major constrains in their application from the Indian perspective. Hence, the current chapter focuses on the use of nanotechnology in quality improvement of economically important agricultural crops.