Nanofertilizers in Agriculture : Synthesis, Mechanisms, and Effect on Plants

This book covers the role and effects of nanofertilizers in agriculture and together with its companion book “Nanofertilizers for Sustainable Agriculture: Assessing Impacts on Health, Environment, and Economy” serves as an indispensable resource for researchers, agronomists, and policymakers exploring sustainable agriculture with nanotechnology.

The book outlines the synthesis and formulation of nanoparticles tailored for agricultural applications and discusses the impact of nanofertilizers on crop well-being and soil fertility, including the pivotal role of plant growth-promoting microorganisms in nanoparticle-mediated agriculture. Divided into four sections, the book begins with an introduction to the relevance and specificities of nanotechnology in agriculture, including nonfertilizer synthesis and formulation, followed by a section dedicated to rhizosphere microorganisms and the impact of nanofertilizers in agricultural systems. Readers will learn about the impact of nanofertilizers on crop well-being and soil fertility, including the pivotal role of plant growth-promoting microorganisms in nanoparticle-mediated agriculture. The subsequent section of the book is devoted to the mechanisms of action of nanofertilizers, namely the ones governing the release, absorption, and translocation of nanonutrients in soil, and discusses the potential of biocatalysis in nanofertilizer development. The final section of the book discusses crop productivity and biofortification while unravelling the nuanced effects of nanoparticle doses, shapes, sizes, and compositions on crop yields and physiological activities. In this section, readers will also find diverse applications of nanofertilizers in stress tolerance, salinity, and environmental stress mitigation.

Dr. Pankaj Kumar completed his master’s and doctorate degrees at the Gurukula Kangri Vishawavidyalaya, Haridwar, Uttarakhand (India). He has 12+ years of teaching and research experiences. His research interest and expertise are rhizosphere microbiology and agri-nanotechnology. He has published more than 60 research papers in national and international reputed journals. He has edited four books Rhizosphere Engineering (2022), Macrophomina phaseolina: Ecobiology, Pathology and Management (2023) published by Academic Press (Elsevier), Multifunctional Microbial Biosurfactants (2023) published by Springer Nature, Microbial Oxidative Enzymes: Biotechnological Applications (2023) published by DE Gruyter, Germany.. He is also a coauthor of An Objective Compendium on Food Science (Brillion Publishing, India, 2022). He is a life member of the Association of Microbiology of India (AMI), New Delhi, and Indian Science Congress, Kolkata (West Bengal), and serves as a reviewer and editorial board member of several national and international reputed journals. Currently, Dr. Pankaj is associated with the Department of Botany and Microbiology, H.N.B. Garhwal University (A Central University), Srinagar Garhwal, Uttarakhand, India.

Dr. Ramesh Chandra Dubey is a professor, the former director (Research and Development Cell), ex-Dean-Research, ex-Dean (faculty of Life Sciences), ex-Dean (Medical Science and Health) and the former head of the Department of Botany and Microbiology, Gurukula Kangri Vishwavidyalaya, Haridwar, Uttarakhand (India). He obtained his M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees from the internationally renowned Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi (India). He has 37+ years of teaching and research experience in the field of agricultural microbiology and biotechnology. He has published more than 215 research papers in the National and International Journals. His Google Citation Index is 6534 till date. He has authored 7 books and co-edited 12 books under different subjects such as agriculture, microbiology, and biotechnology. In 2022, Dr. Dubey published a book, Vedic Microbiology with Motilal Banarsidas International, New Delhi (India).

Dr. Dubey is a life member and fellow of the Indian Botanical Society, Indian Phytopathological Society, and International Society for Conservation of Natural Resources. He also previously served as the chairman of the Institutional Animal Ethical Committee (IAEC) for 6 years (2015–2021) and the councillor of the Indian Botanical Society for 3 years (2011–2013).