The agricultural sector faces unprecedented challenges to ensure food security as the global population soars and climate change intensifies. Abiotic stresses are well-known for diminishing agricultural output and constraining crop yield generation worldwide. While conventional methods for managing crop stress fall short of meeting global demands, the integration of nanotechnology in agriculture offers a sustainable approach, providing a cornerstone for resilient and resource-efficient crop production in the face of evolving environmental challenges. Through targeted delivery systems and tailored formulations, nanoparticles exhibit the potential to enhance plant physiological processes, nutrient uptake efficiency, and stress tolerance mechanisms. This chapter describes the potential role of nanoparticles in abiotic stress management and activation of plant defence-related genes, improving the yield and quality of crops by combating nutrient deficiency and inducing stress tolerance. Moreover, it also discusses the potent molecular mechanisms upon application of nanoparticles for inducing tolerance to various abiotic stresses. However, while nanoparticle-based approaches hold great promise, their implementation also raises concerns regarding environmental impact, toxicity, regulatory frameworks, and socioeconomic implications.

Introduction: The presented study investigated the potential toxicity and safety concerns associated with transgenic maize seeds expressing immunogenic F and HN protein genes against Newcastle disease virus (NDV). Methodology: The experiment involved feeding Sprague–Dawley rats with transgenic maize seeds formulated into standard diets at levels of 30% (w/w) for a duration of 90 days. The rats were divided into three groups, with 10 rats per group. We assessed various parameters including overall appearance, feed consumption, body weight, organ weight, hematological parameters, serum chemistry, and histopathology. Results: The results of these assessments were compared between the control group and the treatment groups. The study findings revealed that there were no significant differences between the control and treatment groups in terms of overall appearance, feed consumption, body weight, organ weight, hematological parameters, serum chemistry, microscopic histopathology, and gross appearance of tissues. These observations suggest that the consumption of transgenic maize seeds did not lead to any treatment-related adverse effects or toxicological issues. Furthermore, the transgenic maize seeds were found to be nutritionally equivalent to their non-transgenic counterpart. Conclusion: Overall, no physiological, pathological, or molecular toxicity was observed in the Rats fed with transgenic feed.However, it is important to note that this study focused specifically on the parameters measured and the outcomes observed in Sprague–Dawley rats, and further research and studies are necessary to fully evaluate the safety and potential applications of transgenic edible vaccines in humans or other animals.