Sustainable agriculture is crucial for meeting the growing global food demand. With the pressure of climate change, resource depletion, and the need for increased agricultural productivity, innovative approaches are essential. Nanotechnology is an emerging technology in achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs). Despite its promising benefits, the safe implementation of nanotechnology in agriculture requires careful consideration of potential health and environmental risks. However, there is a lack of comprehensive documentation on the application, potential and limitations of nanotechnology in the field of agriculture. To address this gap, a desk research approach was used by utilizing peer-reviewed electronic databases like PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and Science Direct for relevant articles. Out of 157 initially identified articles, 85 were deemed pertinent, focusing primarily on potential nanotechnology in smart agricultural systems. Taking into account research findings worldwide, we found significant improvements with nanotechnology over traditional methods which underscores the practical benefits of nanotechnology, including increased crop yields, efficient resource use, and reduced environmental footprint. The objective of this systematic review is to explore the nexus between nanotechnology and agricultural systems, highlighting its potential to enhance productivity, sustainability, and resilience and to inform researchers, practitioners, and policymakers about the transformative impact of nanotechnology on sustainable agriculture and underscores the need for further research to address safety concerns and maximize its potential for agricultural advancement.

Micronutrient shortage is rapidly becoming apparent have drawn more attention in the cultivation of crops. The main causes of this deficit are the introduction of high-yielding varieties, an intensified cropping strategy, and advanced irrigation systems etc. A further aspect contributing to this issue is the increased use of high analysis chemical fertilizers instead of organic plant nutrition (composts, farmyard manure, etc.). Most countries have acute shortages of micronutrients due to the significant depletion of soil reserves caused by current agricultural production technologies. In order to increase both the quantity and quality of crops, micronutrients are crucial. Through the integration of agronomic, breeding and transgenic techniques, researchers seek to strengthen the zinc concentration in field crops, so improving their nutritional value and mitigating the risk of zinc deficiency in human diets. The availability and absorption of micronutrients in crops are improved by agronomic techniques such as foliar spraying, and soil fertilizer treatment including organic amendments. Meanwhile, biofortification of vegetable and fruit crops has also been achieved by transgenic and breeding strategies. In other hand, Rhizobacteria-based biofortification, Chelated Zn biofortification, nutri-priming are also important techniques in Zinc fortification programs to ensure food security and nutritional quality, bio-fortification of micronutrients in crops is vital. In addition, bio-fortification improved quality and crop output, reducing hidden hunger and demonstrating that it was a viable and economical approach. The present review addresses several aspects of zinc insufficiency in human populations, including public health and socioeconomic issues, bio-fortification and ferti-fortification studies, and future efforts to mitigate zinc deficiency in soil and the population at large.

The decline in performance of sugarcane either due to non-availability of suitable planting material or negligence in nutrient management is increasing at an alarming rate. Therefore, a field experiment was conducted for two consecutive years in Bihar, India to study the effect of different planting material and integrated nutrient management strategies on performance and yield of sugarcane. The experiment was conducted in a factorial randomized block design replicated thrice with four planting materials (single budded sett, double budded sett, three budded sett and tissue culture plantlets) and seven integrated nutrient management strategies [control, recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF), soil test-based RDF, RDF + 25% N through pressmud + ZnSO₄, soil test-based RDF+ 25% N through pressmud + ZnSO₄, RDF + 25% N through FYM + ZnSO₄ and soil test-based RDF+ 25% N through FYM + ZnSO₄]. Crop growth attributes viz. leaf area index, plant height, tillers, total chlorophyll content was found maximum with tissue culture plantlets followed by three budded setts while the minimum in single budded sett. During both the years of the study, three budded setts increased the cane yield by 33.9 and 34.5% over single budded sett respectively. Application of soil test-based RDF + 25% N through pressmud + ZnSO₄ significantly enhanced physio-agronomic performance and further, the sugar yield by 39.1, 13.3 and 38.7, 11.6 % as compared to RDF and soil test-based RDF in first and second year of the study respectively. Hence, it was concluded that three budded sett along with soil test-based RDF + 25% N through pressmud + ZnSO₄ of 25 kg/ha can increase overall growth and productivity of sugarcane.

Planting method is the one of the important agronomic interventions for enhancing productivity and quality of sugarcane. Right technique could enhance not only the cane yield but also input use efficiency. Increased use of better technologies, such as planting techniques, is essential to maintaining the production and productivity of the sugar industry in an ethical way. Additionally, it is necessary to improve the efficiency of the inputs used in sugarcane farming, particularly the prudent utilization of water and site-specific nutrient management. Planting techniques in sugarcane play a significant role in determining the overall productivity and sustainability of sugarcane cultivation. Proper planting techniques ensure that the sugarcane crop establishes well and produces higher yields. New planting techniques must be made widely known to producers to make sugarcane cultivation a sustainable and lucrative sector that contributes to national food security. Therefore, the development and adoption of enhanced planting methods and its impact on cane productivity and input usage efficiency for sustainable sugarcane farming system are described in this review in order to maintain cane production and its sustainability towards national food security. This review aims to enlist the impact of different planting methods on sugarcane productivity and input use efficiency.