Phytotoxicity of Nanomaterials in Agriculture

Science and technology have advanced rapidly in every aspect; thus, nanotechnology is one of the highly promising interdisciplinary approaches which has swiftly emerged in the world. The inherent properties of nanomaterials (NMs) made them widely accepted to use in many fields, including agriculture. Because of this, NMs have attracted novel agrochemical formulations to enhance crop productivity. However, deliberate and accidental release of nanoparticulate based agrochemical formulations and engineered NMs have raised concerns on the possible effects on agricultural crops. Therefore, the interaction of NMs leading to phytotoxicity is the biggest concern that is required to be assessed prior to their applications. Hence, this review discusses whether NMs can be used as a feasible stand-in candidate for agriculture.