Nanotechnology emerges as an important way to safeguard global food security amid the escalating challenges posed by the expansion of the global population and the impacts of climate change. The perfect fusion of this breakthrough technology with traditional agriculture promises to revolutionize the way agriculture is traditionally practiced and provide effective solutions to the myriad of challenges in agriculture. Particularly noteworthy are the applications of nano-fertilizers and pesticides in agriculture, which have become milestones in sustainable agriculture and offer lasting alternatives to traditional methods. This review meticulously explores the key role of nano-fertilizers and pesticides in advancing sustainable agriculture. By focusing on the dynamic development of nanotechnology in the field of sustainable agriculture and its ability to address the overarching issue of global food security, this review aims to shed light on the transformative potential of nanotechnology to pave the way for a more resilient and sustainable future for agriculture.

It is estimated that 40–70%, 80–90% and 50–90% of the conventional macronutrients N, P and K applied to the soil are lost, respectively, resulting in considerable loss of resources. Compared to conventional fertilizers, nanofertilizers have the advantages of controlled release, high nutrient utilization, low cost and relatively low environmental pollution due to their small size (1–100 nm) and high specific surface area. The application of nanofertilizers is an up-and-coming field of agricultural research and is an attractive and economical substitute for common fertilizers which can boost global food productivity sustainably. Foliar fertilization is a popular way to satisfy the needs of higher plants. Because of its small application dose, faster nutrient uptake than soil application and relatively less environmental pollution, foliar fertilization is more popular among plants. It can be seen that nanofertilizers and foliar fertilization are the hotspots of attention at present and that current research on the foliar application of nanofertilizers is not as extensive as that on soil application. Based on this background, this paper provides an overview of various applications of foliar spraying of nanofertilizers in agriculture, including applications in improving crop yield and quality as well as mitigating heavy metal stress, salt stress and drought stress.

To ensure food safety, the current agricultural development has put forward requirements for improving nutritional quality and reducing the harmful accumulation of agricultural chemicals. Nano-enabled sustainable agriculture and food security have been increasingly explored as a new research frontier. Nano-fertilizers show the potential to be more efficient than traditional fertilizers, reducing the amount used while ensuring plant uptake, supplying the inorganic nutrients needed by plants, and improving the process by which plants produce organic nutrients. Other agricultural uses of nanotechnology affect crop productivity and nutrient quality in addition to nano-fertilizers. This article will review the research progress of using nanomaterials to improve nutritional quality in recent years and point out the focus of future research.

The application of nanomaterials (NMs) in agriculture has become a global concern in recent years. However, studies on their effects on plants are still limited. Here, we conducted a seed germination experiment for 5 days and a hydroponics experiment for 14 days to study the effects of silicon dioxide NMs(nSiO₂) and silicon carbide NMs(nSiC) (0,10, 50, 200 mg/L) on rice (Oryza sativa L.). Bulk SiO₂ (bSiO₂) and sodium silicate (Na₂SiO₃) were used as controls. The results showed that nSiO₂ and nSiC increased the shoot length (11–37%, 6–25%) and root length (17–87%, 59–207%) of germinating seeds, respectively, compared with the control. Similarly, inter-root exposure to nSiO₂, bSiO_2, and nSiC improved the activity of aboveground catalase (10–55%, 31–34%, and 13–51%) and increased the content of trace elements magnesium, copper, and zinc, thus promoting the photosynthesis of rice. However, Na₂SiO₃ at a concentration of 200 mg/L reduced the aboveground and root biomass of rice by 27–51% and 4–17%, respectively. This may be because excess silicon not only inhibited the activity of root antioxidant enzymes but also disrupted the balance of mineral elements. This finding provides a new basis for the effect of silica-based NMs promotion on seed germination and rice growth.