Future Trajectories and Challenges in Nanotechnology for Horticulture

Nanotechnology is an emerging and innovative cutting-edge technology offering a major thrust and solutions from biotic and abiotic factors in horticultural crop production to enhance their shelf life during postharvest storage. Hybrid integration of nanotechnology concepts with existing modern technologies has great potential to improve crop growth, yield, and extend shelf life and marketability, thereby addressing challenges in food production, security, sustainability, adaptation, and climate change issues. In the horticulture sector, pre- and post-application of nanomaterials on horticultural crops aims to enhance agricultural productivity and the quality of harvested commodities to ensure food safety and sovereignty. To increase the yield and quality of the horticultural crops value chain, several nanomaterials, including nanometals, nanorods, nanofilms, nanotubes, nanofibers, nanolayers, and nanosheets, have been tried and tested on different agricultural inputs. Nanomaterials have also been used in smart and intelligent packaging and nanocomposites to preserve the quality and nutritional security of fruits and vegetables to feed over nine billion people worldwide. However, there is a need to upscale laboratory innovations to field applications and address the long-term impact and knowledge gaps, as well as risk assessment and ecotoxicology concerns, consumer acceptance and public perception, and global regulatory inconsistencies on nanotechnology that pose commercialization hurdles for nanotechnology-grown crops.