Professor Quang D. Nguyen, Institute of Food Science and Technology, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Budapest, Hungary. Dr. Ali Asghar Rastegari, Associate Professor, Department of Biochemistry, Fal.C., Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran. Dr. Ajar Nath Yadav, Associate Professor and Head, Department of Genetics, Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, Dr. Khem Singh Gill Akal College of Agriculture, Eternal University, Baru Sahib, Himachal Pradesh, India. Professor Mohamed Hijri, Department of Biological Sciences, Institut de recherche en biologie végétale, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada.

• List of Contributors xixForeword xxviiForeword xxixPreface xxxiAcknowledgments xxxiii1 Nanotechnology and Microbiology for Sustainable Agriculture: An Introduction 1Rajeshwari Negi, Babita Sharma, Neelam Yadav, Ashok Yadav, Paridhi Puri, Farhan Zameer, and Ajar Nath Yadav1.1 Introduction 11.2 Nanoparticles and Their Types 21.3 Methods of Nanomaterial Synthesis 51.4 Why Use Nanotechnology in Agriculture 61.5 Microbial Nanotechnology and Sustainable Agricultural Development 81.6 Regulatory Policies and Considerations 91.7 Environmental Issues Associated with Microbial Nanoparticles 111.8 Conclusions 122 Nanomaterials in Agriculture and Soil Revitalization: Applications and Challenges 25Slimane Mokrani, El-hafid Nabti, Omar Khirennas, and Karim Houali2.1 Introduction 252.2 Effect of Nanomaterials on Soil and Plant Systems 262.3 Applications in Agriculture 302.4 Challenges and Opportunities 342.5 Recommendations and Expected Future Aspects 362.6 Conclusions 373 Phosphorus-Solubilizing Microbes and Nanotechnologies for Plant Growth Promotion and Soil Health 45Divjot Kour, Babita Sharma, Damini Maithani, Ali Khalaf Ahmed Albaggar, Tanvir Kaur, Abdulaziz M.S. Alqahtani, Sofia Sharief Khan, Hemant Dasila, Neelam Yadav, and Ajar Nath Yadav3.1 Introduction 453.2 Phosphorus as an Important Macronutrient for Plants 463.3 Phosphate-Solubilizing Microbes 473.4 Mechanism of Microbial Phosphorus Solubilization 503.5 Phosphorus-Solubilizing Microbes as Bioinoculants for Sustainable Agriculture 523.6 Phosphorus Nanofertilizers in Agriculture 543.7 Conclusion 554 Role of Fungi in the Production of Bioactive Compounds and Nanotechnology 65Laith Khalil Tawfeeq Al-Ani, Ivana Mitrovic, Alejandra G. Becerra, Maura Téllez-Téllez, and Lobna Hajji-Hedfi4.1 Introduction 654.2 Fungal Diversity 664.3 Types of Fungal Secondary Metabolites 694.4 Fungi in Nanoparticle Biosynthesis 794.5 Conclusions 825 Potential Applications of Cyanobacterial Nanoparticles in Agriculture 95Rajeshwari Negi, Babita Sharma, Faezeh Parastesh, Tanvir Kaur, Samrendra Singh Thakur, Subhikshaa Bagavathiappan, Ashok Yadav, Sofia Sharief Khan, Neelam Yadav, Paridhi Puri, and Ajar Nath Yadav5.1 Introduction 955.2 Synthesis of Nanoparticles 975.3 Cyanobacteria as a Source of Nanoparticles Synthesis 1045.4 Mechanism of Cyanobacteria Mediated Nanoparticles Biosynthesis 1085.5 Characterization of Biosynthesized Nanoparticles 1095.6 Molecular Insights into Nanoparticle Toxicity 1105.7 Applications of Cyanobacterial-based Nanoparticles in Agriculture 1115.8 Future Projections of Nanoparticle Synthesis 1135.9 Conclusion 1146 Role of Beneficial Microbes for Sustainable Agriculture and Environmental Nanotechnology 125Chandra Kant Sharma, Harshit Chavda, Saleha Diwan, Vijay Upadhye, Nitin Mahendra Chauhan, and Sunil Tulshiram Hajare6.1 Introduction 1256.2 Beneficial Microorganisms in Sustainable Agriculture 1266.3 Environmental Nanotechnology 1326.4 Conclusions 1367 Microbial Nanotechnology in Plant Growth Promotion and Crop Protection 141Neelam Thakur, Samiksha Jhamta, Simranjeet Kaur, Jaspreet Kaur Brar, Taniya Chauhan, Hanika Kapoor, Avtar Kaur Sidhu, and Ajar Nath Yadav7.1 Introduction 1417.2 Microorganisms as Nano-factories 1437.3 Microbial Nanoparticles in Plant Growth Promotion 1447.4 Microbial Nanoparticles in Crop Protection 1517.5 The Use of Nanoscale Materials Produced by Microbes Carries Some Risks 1557.6 Microbial Nanoparticle Formulations 1567.7 Conclusions 1578 Microbial Nanotechnology in Biocontrol of Insect Pest 169Preety Tomar, Parul Sharma, Yankita Negi, Sakshi Sharma, Vijay Bharti Sharma, and Ajar Nath Yadav8.1 Introduction 1698.2 Microbial Biosynthesis of Nanoparticles 1708.3 Role of Nanotechnology in Agricultural Sustainability 1748.4 Nanoparticles as Biopesticides 1758.5 Applications Against Insect Pests 1768.6 Mechanism of Action of Nanoparticles Against Insects 1788.7 Risk Concerns, Regulatory Policies, and Considerations 1808.8 Conclusion and Future Perspective 1809 Role of Actinomycetes in the Bioactive Synthesis of Nanoparticles 189Dibyajit Lahiri, Moupriya Nag, Manoj Singh, Arunava Goswami, Ritwik Banerjee, Dipro Mukherjee, Sayantani Garai, Ankita Dey, and Rina Rani Ray9.1 Introduction 1899.2 Synthesis of Biogenic Nanoparticles from Actinomycetes 1919.3 Nanoparticle (Biogenic) Production by Actinomycetes 1919.4 Development of Metal Oxides, Metal-based Nanomaterials, and Nano-antibiotics from Actinomycetes 1929.5 Mechanism of Synthesis of NPs by Actinomycetes 1929.6 Intracellular and Extracellular Synthesis of NPs by Actinomycetes 1939.7 Factors Controlling the Mechanism of Synthesis of NPs 1949.8 Actinomycetes NPs and Their Antifungal Activities 1949.9 Actinomycetes NPs with Antiparasitic Activity 1949.10 Applications of Actinomycetes NPs Based on Biological Grounds 1959.11 Synthesis of Biogenic Nanoparticles from Actinomycetes-derived Compounds 1969.12 Challenges of Using Metal and Metal Oxide Nanoparticles 1979.13 Conclusions 19810 Nanotechnology for Genetically Modified Organisms in Food Production 205Rahul Nitnavare, Joorie Bhattacharya, and Sougata Ghosh10.1 Introduction 20510.2 Nanomaterials-Driven Genetic Engineering in Plants 20910.3 Cargo Delivery Systems 21310.4 RNAi and Nanotechnology 21810.5 Conclusion and Future Prospects 22011 Bioremediation of Contaminants Using Microbial Nanotechnologies for Agricultural Sustainability 227Farhan Zameer, Kounaina Khan, Pratheek Jain, Subrahmanya Padyana, and Ajar Nath Yadav11.1 Introduction 22711.2 Soil and Its Components Supporting Ecosystem Sustainability 22811.3 Major Contaminants in Agricultural Soil 23411.4 Role of Nanotechnology in Soil Health 23611.5 Microbial-Mediated Bioremediation of Soil Contaminants and Their Mode of Action 23811.6 Microbial Nanotechnology Bioremediation Strategies for Soil Contaminants 23911.7 Nanotechnology in Mycoremediation 24111.8 Nanoparticle-Enhanced Phytoremediation 24111.9 Smart Sensors for Monitoring Soil Remediation 24211.10 Opportunities in Microbial Nanotech Bioremediation 24311.11 Challenges in Microbial Nanotech Bioremediation 24411.12 Conclusions and Future Directions 24612 Nanoparticles for Bioremediation of Heavy Metals from Agricultural Fields 255Dalaq Aiysha and Salma Mukhtar12.1 Introduction 25512.2 Heavy Metal Contamination in Agricultural Fields 25712.3 Conventional Methods for the Removal of Heavy Metals from Agricultural Lands 25812.4 Nanoparticles 25912.5 Nano-remediation of Soils and Groundwater with Nanoparticles 26012.6 Nano-bioremediation Approaches for Heavy Metal-contaminated Agricultural Fields 26312.7 Conclusion and Future Scope 26913 Biologically Synthesized Nanomaterials and their Antimicrobial Potentials for Crop Protection 279Urvashi Mittal, Sarvjeet Kukreja, Nidhi Selwal, Nitu Gautam, and Umesh Goutam13.1 Introduction 27913.2 Biologically (or Green) Synthesized Nanoparticles 28013.3 Interaction and Uptake of Biogenic Nanoparticles with Plants and Microbes 28213.4 Mechanisms of Antimicrobial Activity of Biogenic Nanoparticles 28413.5 Plant-Based Nanoparticles 28513.6 Applications of Biogenic Nanoparticles in Agriculture 29113.7 Challenges and Future Prospects 29313.8 Conclusion 29514 Nanostructures for Immobilization of Agriculturally Used Cells and Enzymes 301Nafiseh Sadat Naghavi, Fahimeh Sarami, and Golnoosh Rezaeizadeh14.1 Introduction 30114.2 Immobilized Whole Cell Microorganisms Used in Agriculture 30214.3 Immobilized Microbial Enzymes Used in Agriculture 30714.4 Transforming Agricultural Wastes by Immobilized Cells and Enzymes 31114.5 Biodegradation of Contaminants from Soil by Immobilized Cells and Enzymes 31314.6 Conclusion 31515 Nanopesticides and Their Potential Applications for Crop Protection 325Kounaina Khan, Farhan Zameer, Pratheek Jain, Subrahmanya Padyana, and Ajar Nath Yadav15.1 Introduction 32515.2 Synthesis of Nanopesticides 32715.3 Types of Nanopesticides 33115.4 Mechanism of Nanopesticides 33415.5 Applications of Nanopesticides in Crop Protection 33715.6 Regulatory Challenges and Future Direction 34115.7 Limitations 34215.8 Conclusions 34216 Nanobiosensors in Agricultural and Environmental Sustainability 349Monika Kundu, Shiv Prasad, Shipra Singh, Prameela Krishnan, and Ajar Nath Yadav16.1 Introduction 34916.2 Biosensor 35116.3 The Fusion of Nanotechnology with the Biosensor: Nanobiosensor 35216.4 Nanobiosensors to Promote Agricultural Sustainability 35916.5 Nanobiosensors for Natural Resource Management and Environmental Sustainability 36616.6 Future Prospects and Challenges 36816.7 Conclusions 37017 Nanotechnology and Genetically Modified Organisms for Agricultural Sustainability 375Guillermo Fernandez-Bunster17.1 Introduction 37517.2 Concept of Sustainability and Others 37617.3 Nanotechnology and Sustainable Agriculture 37817.4 Consequences of the Use of Nanotechnology in Sustainability 39017.5 Genetically Modified Organisms in Sustainable Agriculture 39117.6 GMO Uses in Agricultural Sustainability 39717.7 Consequences of the Use of GMO in Sustainable Agriculture 40117.8 General Considerations for the Use of GMOs and Nanotechnology in Sustainable Agriculture 40317.9 Conclusions 40618 Global Nanotechnology Research for Agriculture 421Kounaina Khan, Farhan Zameer, Pratheek Jain, Subrahmanya Padyana, and Ajar Nath Yadav18.1 Introduction 42118.2 Nanomaterials in Agriculture 42618.3 Nanotechnology for Precision Agriculture 42718.4 Sustainable Agriculture: Nanotechnology's Role in Reducing Environmental Impact 42818.5 Nanotechnology in Seed Science and Crop Enhancement 43018.6 Safety, Toxicology, and Environmental Impact of Nanomaterials 43118.7 Global Trends in Nanotechnology Research for Agriculture 43218.8 Case Studies: Success Stories and Field Trials 43318.9 Challenges and Limitations of Nanotechnology in Agriculture 43518.10 Future Outlook: Advancing Nanotechnology for Global Agriculture 43618.11 Conclusions 43819 Regulatory Aspects of Nanotechnology in the Agriculture Sector 445Ayomide Emmanuel Fadiji, Adegboyega Adeniji, and Adedayo Ayodeji Lanrewaju19.1 Introduction 44519.2 Overview of Nanotechnology in Agriculture 44619.3 Regulatory Frameworks for Nanotechnology 44919.4 Specific Regulations and Standards for Nanotechnology in Agriculture 45319.5 Ethical and Societal Considerations 45419.6 Future Directions and Recommendations 45919.7 Conclusion 46120 Functional Annotation of Microbes and Nanotechnology for Agricultural Productivity 469Manali Singh, Shivani Bhutani, and Sagar Chhabra20.1 Introduction 46920.2 Microbes and their Classification Based on Location 47120.3 Nanotechnology: Opportunities and Challenges for Agriculture 47620.4 Bacteria in Biogenesis of Nanoparticles 48020.5 Functional Annotation and the Importance of Studying Genome Metagenomes and Microbial Structure and Nanomaterial-producing Microbiomes 48220.6 Conclusions 486Acknowledgment 48621 Nanotechnology and Microbiology for Agricultural Sustainability: Current Research and Future Challenges 497Rajeshwari Negi, Tanvir Kaur, Samiksha Jhamta, Neelam Yadav, Ashok Yadav, Paridhi Puri, Neelam Thakur, and Ajar Nath Yadav21.1 Introduction 49721.2 Nanoparticles 49821.3 Nanoparticles Interaction with Plants 50021.4 The Physiochemical Response of Plants Toward Nanoparticle 50221.5 Application of Microbial Nanotechnology in Agriculture 50321.6 Microbial Nanotechnology and Agricultural Sustainable Development 50721.7 Toxicological Impact of Nanoparticle Risk and Health Hazards in Agriculture Application 50821.8 Conclusions and Future Perspectives 510References 510Index 519