f. A bacterial plant pathogen Xanthomonas axonopodis
pv. vesicatoria in solanaceous crops was detected with
fluorescent silica nanoprobes tagged with secondary
antibody of goat anti-rabbit Ig (Yao et al. 2009).
g. Karnal bunt disease in wheat was detected with
immunosensor of nano-gold (Singh et al. 2010).
H. Nanosensors Detect Nutrient concentration
Soil suffers from a loss of nutrient concentration, and it is
important to analyse soil requirement for conditioning and
productivity increase, and components which are in excess
suffer from leaching. Some of the nanosensors which are
used in nutrient detection are as follows:
Graphene oxide-based nanosensors were useful in nitrate
detection, and nanosensors such as nanofibres made up of
graphite oxide sheet and compound poly (3, 4-ethylene
dioxythiophene) were for detection of nitrate (Pan et al.
2016; Ali et al. 2017).
I. Nanosensors Detect Fertilizer Activity
In the current society, fertilizer estimation is increasing with
the help of nanosensors, further helping in cost management
of fertilizers for reducing the pressure for farmer and saving
fertilizers which are unutilized. Some of the nanoparticlebased biosensors were used to determine the urea, urease
inhibition and urease activity which are as follows:
Urea, urease inhibition and urease activity were recognized by nanosensor made up of gold nanoparticle-3, 3′, 5,
5′-tetramethylbenzidine-H–O (Deng et al. 2016). Gold
nanoparticle acts as a detection tool and produces yellow
colour and has detection limit for recording urease activity
(1.8 unit per L) in soil.
J. Nanosensors As An Agent for Promotion of Sustainable Agriculture
Nanofertilizers deliver nutrients to crops in the form of a
product encapsulated with nanoparticle. Advantage of using
nanofertlizers is reducing nitrogen loss due to emissions and
leaching (De Rosa et al. 2010)
There are three ways of encapsulation:
(a) Nanoporous materials or nanotubes can contain nutrients or coating with thin film made up of polymers and
delivering an emulsions or nanoparticles.
(b) Carbon nanotubes have penetrated in tomato seeds
(Khodakovskaya et al. 2009).
(c) Nanoparticles made up of ZnO enter the ryegrass root
tissue (Lin and Xing 2008).
Studies suggested that delivery system of nutrients
explores the porous domains in nanoscale range on plant
surfaces which release nutrients and prevent their changing
state into gaseous or chemical forms whose further absorption cannot occur by plants. In order to attain the absorption,
biosensor is equipped with nanofertilizers and allows controlled delivery of nutrients. Soil nutrient and environmental
conditions also improves the quality of soil by reducing
toxic effects caused by fertilizers.
K. Nanosensors in Regulation of Plant hormones
McLamore et al. (2010) demonstrated the use of MWCNTs
helped in the study of plant growth by hormone regulation
especially auxin and helped to understand the mechanism of
plant roots acclimatization in the environment in marginal
soils.
6 Conclusion
The use of nano-biosensors in agriculture enabled for
improvement in detection capacity of microorganisms contaminants which are toxic and detect pesticide and insecticide residues. The support of nanomaterials to biosensor
technology provides a better device, which can be handled
easily and more sensitive and helps in improvement of
detection speed. In addition, it has capability for sensing
single analyte which gives the information of toxic contaminants present in agriculture. Sensing system increases
the selective or specific method of detection for pathogens
during antigen–antibody interactions.
Nano-biosensors are still in its development stage in rural
small-scale farms, but the support of different type of
nanomaterials is effective for biosensors because the cost is
less, highly sensitive, user-friendly, high specificity and no
technician requirement. Therefore, this nano-biosensor
technology will be effective in increasing the crop production for fulfilling the increasing demands for food and provide novel devices for farms in rural or remote areas in order
to give benefits for early monitoring of crop.
In a nutshell, the use of bio-nanosensors provides smart
agricultural practices and has large number of applications in
agriculture such as a detection tool for diseases for quick
identification of pathogens and therefore help in managing
plant diseases. It also helped in hormones delivery such as
auxin and gibberellin with the help of multiwalled carbon
nanotubes and promoting plant growth and detects activity
of fertilizer, nutrient concentration, insecticides and pesticide
residues.
170
S. Dhiman et al.
pv. vesicatoria in solanaceous crops was detected with
fluorescent silica nanoprobes tagged with secondary
antibody of goat anti-rabbit Ig (Yao et al. 2009).
g. Karnal bunt disease in wheat was detected with
immunosensor of nano-gold (Singh et al. 2010).
H. Nanosensors Detect Nutrient concentration
Soil suffers from a loss of nutrient concentration, and it is
important to analyse soil requirement for conditioning and
productivity increase, and components which are in excess
suffer from leaching. Some of the nanosensors which are
used in nutrient detection are as follows:
Graphene oxide-based nanosensors were useful in nitrate
detection, and nanosensors such as nanofibres made up of
graphite oxide sheet and compound poly (3, 4-ethylene
dioxythiophene) were for detection of nitrate (Pan et al.
2016; Ali et al. 2017).
I. Nanosensors Detect Fertilizer Activity
In the current society, fertilizer estimation is increasing with
the help of nanosensors, further helping in cost management
of fertilizers for reducing the pressure for farmer and saving
fertilizers which are unutilized. Some of the nanoparticlebased biosensors were used to determine the urea, urease
inhibition and urease activity which are as follows:
Urea, urease inhibition and urease activity were recognized by nanosensor made up of gold nanoparticle-3, 3′, 5,
5′-tetramethylbenzidine-H–O (Deng et al. 2016). Gold
nanoparticle acts as a detection tool and produces yellow
colour and has detection limit for recording urease activity
(1.8 unit per L) in soil.
J. Nanosensors As An Agent for Promotion of Sustainable Agriculture
Nanofertilizers deliver nutrients to crops in the form of a
product encapsulated with nanoparticle. Advantage of using
nanofertlizers is reducing nitrogen loss due to emissions and
leaching (De Rosa et al. 2010)
There are three ways of encapsulation:
(a) Nanoporous materials or nanotubes can contain nutrients or coating with thin film made up of polymers and
delivering an emulsions or nanoparticles.
(b) Carbon nanotubes have penetrated in tomato seeds
(Khodakovskaya et al. 2009).
(c) Nanoparticles made up of ZnO enter the ryegrass root
tissue (Lin and Xing 2008).
Studies suggested that delivery system of nutrients
explores the porous domains in nanoscale range on plant
surfaces which release nutrients and prevent their changing
state into gaseous or chemical forms whose further absorption cannot occur by plants. In order to attain the absorption,
biosensor is equipped with nanofertilizers and allows controlled delivery of nutrients. Soil nutrient and environmental
conditions also improves the quality of soil by reducing
toxic effects caused by fertilizers.
K. Nanosensors in Regulation of Plant hormones
McLamore et al. (2010) demonstrated the use of MWCNTs
helped in the study of plant growth by hormone regulation
especially auxin and helped to understand the mechanism of
plant roots acclimatization in the environment in marginal
soils.
6 Conclusion
The use of nano-biosensors in agriculture enabled for
improvement in detection capacity of microorganisms contaminants which are toxic and detect pesticide and insecticide residues. The support of nanomaterials to biosensor
technology provides a better device, which can be handled
easily and more sensitive and helps in improvement of
detection speed. In addition, it has capability for sensing
single analyte which gives the information of toxic contaminants present in agriculture. Sensing system increases
the selective or specific method of detection for pathogens
during antigen–antibody interactions.
Nano-biosensors are still in its development stage in rural
small-scale farms, but the support of different type of
nanomaterials is effective for biosensors because the cost is
less, highly sensitive, user-friendly, high specificity and no
technician requirement. Therefore, this nano-biosensor
technology will be effective in increasing the crop production for fulfilling the increasing demands for food and provide novel devices for farms in rural or remote areas in order
to give benefits for early monitoring of crop.
In a nutshell, the use of bio-nanosensors provides smart
agricultural practices and has large number of applications in
agriculture such as a detection tool for diseases for quick
identification of pathogens and therefore help in managing
plant diseases. It also helped in hormones delivery such as
auxin and gibberellin with the help of multiwalled carbon
nanotubes and promoting plant growth and detects activity
of fertilizer, nutrient concentration, insecticides and pesticide
residues.
170
S. Dhiman et al.