A crucial determining factor in agricultural productivity is biotic stress. In addition, supply of quality food to the ever-increasing world’s population has raised the food demand tremendously. Therefore, enhanced agricultural crop productivity is the only option to mitigate these concerns. It ultimately demanded the often and indiscriminate use of synthetic agrochemicals such as chemical fertilizers, pesticides, insecticides, herbicides, etc. for the management of various biotic stresses including a variety of plant pathogens. However, the food chain and biosphere are severely impacted due to the use of such harmful agrochemicals and their byproducts. Hence, it is need of hour to search for novel, effective and ecofriendly approaches for the management of biotic stresses in crop plants. Particularly, in plant disease management, efforts are being made to take advantage of newly emerged science i.e. nanotechnology for the creation of inorganic nanoparticles (NPs) such as metallic, oxide, sulphide, etc. through different routes and their application in plant disease management. Among these, green nanomaterials which are synthesized using environmentally friendly methods and materials reported to possess unique properties (such as high surface area, adjustable size and shape, and specific functionalities) making them ideal candidates for targeted disease control. Nanotechnology can stop crop losses by managing specific diseases from soil, plants, and hydroponic systems. This review mainly focuses on the application of biologically produced green NPs in the treatment of plant diseases caused due to bacteria, viruses, and fungi. The utilization of green synthesis of NPs in the creation of intelligent targeted pesticide and biomolecule control delivery systems, for disease management is considered environmentally friendly due to its pursuit of less hazardous, sustainable, and environmentally friendly methods.

Chitosan–copper nanoparticles (CHT–Cu NPs) were synthesized using an ionic gelation approach and evaluated for their physicochemical properties and antifungal activity against major fungal pathogens of chickpea and citrus. For instance, “In recent years, nanotechnology-based formulations have emerged as promising strategy for sustainable disease management”. Dynamic light scattering analysis revealed uniformly sized nanoparticles (~150 nm) with low polydispersity and a positive surface charge (+22.2 mV). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis confirmed effective copper coordination, amorphous nanocomposite formation, and stable incorporation of copper within the chitosan matrix. The antifungal efficacy of CHT–Cu NPs was assessed in vitro against Colletotrichum ciceri , Fusarium ciceri , Rhizoctonia bataticola , Sclerotium rolfsii , and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides . The nanocomposites exhibited strong, concentration-dependent inhibition of mycelial growth. F. ciceri was highly sensitive, showing complete inhibition at all tested concentrations (≥100 µg mL ⁻ ¹). S. rolfsii and chickpea pathogens C. ciceri and R. bataticola were completely inhibited at concentrations 200 µg mL ⁻ ¹, 300 µg mL ⁻ ¹ and 300 µg mL ⁻ ¹, respectively, whereas C. gloeosporioides was comparatively less sensitive and required higher concentrations (≥400 µg mL ⁻ ¹) for complete suppression. In contrast, chitosan alone and copper sulfate showed only moderate antifungal activity. These findings demonstrate that CHT–Cu NPs possess broad-spectrum antifungal activity and superior efficacy compared to conventional fungicides, highlighting their potential as eco-compatible nanobiopesticides for sustainable management of fungal diseases in crop plants.

<!----> <!----> The skill of inactivating, deleting or replacing genes in organisms helps us to understand the important biological processes that sustain life. Genome editing in plants and other species with the aid of site-specific nucleases has been accomplished with success. Varieties obtained by genome editing in plant breeding have less regulatory procedures as compared to GM crops. The most influential strategies for targeted genome engineering are meganucleases, ZFNs, TALENs and CRISPR/Cas. Naturally, cells have endogenous repair mechanisms, viz. NHEJ and HDR, for DNA double-stranded breakage, which is used in genome editing. The rapid development of genome editing in the field of agriculture will help to improve yield and to gain resistance against various biotic and abiotic stresses. We have summarized breakthroughs that extended the potential of genome editing methods from basics to the applied part for crop improvement, which will help to tackle emerging problems in agriculture and food security. <!----> <!---->

The development of eco-friendly alternatives to chemical fungicides is crucial for sustainable plant disease management. In the present study, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) were extracellularly biosynthesized using culture filtrates of two Trichoderma asperellum isolates (PDKV_SN_F3 and PDKV_SN_F5). Nanoparticle formation was confirmed by UV–Visible spectroscopy, with AgNPs exhibiting surface plasmon resonance peaks at 408–414 nm and ZnONPs showing characteristic absorption between 310 and 344 nm. FT-IR analysis revealed the involvement of fungal biomolecules, including proteins and phenolic compounds, in metal ion reduction and nanoparticle stabilization. HR-TEM analysis demonstrated predominantly spherical nanoparticles ranging from 1 to 70 nm, while DLS indicated larger hydrodynamic diameters due to biomolecular capping. The antifungal efficacy of the biosynthesized nanoparticles was evaluated against Rhizoctonia bataticola and Sclerotium rolfsii using the poison food technique. AgNPs derived from isolate PDKV_SN_F5 achieved complete inhibition (100%) of R. bataticola at 50 mg L⁻¹ and moderate inhibition of S. rolfsii (58.6%). Both AgNPs and ZnONPs synthesized from isolate PDKV_SN_F3 resulted in complete inhibition (100%) of both pathogens at 100 mg L⁻¹, demonstrating a clear dose-dependent response. Comparative analysis revealed isolate-dependent variation in antifungal activity, with AgNPs exhibiting greater potency at lower concentrations. Overall, the findings highlight the potential of Trichoderma-mediated biogenic nanoparticles as promising eco-friendly nano-fungicidal agents for the sustainable management of soilborne plant pathogens.