The agriculture industrial sector covers a widespread network of various activities, which supply the food needed for the world population. For the past years, global nanotechnology markets have been growing at an elevated rate to provide agriculture with heavier profits coming from value-added fabrications. A large proportion of people face daily food shortages as a result of environmental impacts, while there is a food surplus in the contemporary world. The drive is to develop drought and pest resistant crops, maximizing yields.
NPD contains data about 222 agriculture nanoproducts of 33 various types. These products are introduced into global markets by 69 companies, the headquarters of which are located in 25 different countries. The products are classified into animal husbandry, fertilizers, plant breeding, plant protection, and soil improvement sub-industrial sectors.
Fertilizers, chelates, and nutrients are the products are commonly introduced by manufacturers. Precursors, chemicals, and boosters (e.g., controlled-release nanocomposites) employed for the preparation of fertilizers are the other product types which are commercially available in the markets, where current plant breeding manufacturers are greatly interested in producing plant growth regulators, seed speeds, hormones, and fruit enhancers. Nano-enabled soil enhancers have also gained tremendous attention these days. Pesticides, algicides, herbicides, fungicides, biocides, and plants disinfecting agents are the main products in the plant protection section. More recently, nano-based stretch films made of polyethylene are used for hay packing to protect plants against UV-rays and thunders. Animal husbandry includes various supplements, nutrients, feed additives, enzymes, and disinfectants for livestock, poultry, and aquaculture. Veterinary vaccines, wounds, and drugs are other available products in the markets. As for aquaculture, mention can be made of fish counters as well as O2 and CO2 concentration controllers.
Nanotechnology has the potential to revolutionize the agricultural industry with new tools for detecting diseases, enhancing plants ability to absorb the nutrient, minimizing nutrient losses in fertilization, and increasing yields through optimized nutrient management. Such nanoparticles as silver, titanium dioxide, silicon dioxide, and zinc oxide with unique chemical, physical, and mechanical properties, are the most common nanomaterials reported in the agriculture sector, which improve foliage of plants, develop stress tolerance, prolong the shelf life of products, and enhance nutrient efficiency from the soil. Nanocapsules made of magnesium, manganese, iron, and potassium also play an important role in this sector. Moreover, porous materials such as zeolites can result in crop yield enhancement and immunity improvement.
There are hundreds of nano-based manufacturers active in the agriculture industry, but only some of them can be called the giants of the industry. Examples include Neufarm GmbH, Plant vitality Ltd, Kanak Biotech, FRAmelco, Aqua-Yield Hub, Organic Fertilizing, Reed Mariculture Inc, Prodotti Arca S.r.l, Kimitec Group, Richfield Fertilisers Pvt, Blue Planet Environmental, Danaflex Nano, Bioteksa, AgriLife, NanoLandBaltic, Vive Crop Protection, DVS BioLife Ltd, Samarita, and Litho Plant.
Having reviewed the monitored companies, India, Germany, UK, USA, Vietnam, Taiwan, Brazil, China, Malaysia, and the Netherlands are the most active countries in directing manufacturers consideration into exploiting nanotechnology merits for agriculture prosperity.
The keywords used to build up the agriculture industrial sector database are as follows:
Nano + fertilizers, chelate, manure, plant germination and growth, plant protection and production, pesticide residue detection, herbicide detection, fenamithion and acetamiprid in water, parathion in water and vegetables, pirimicarb in vegetables, sensors for organochlorines and organophosphates, plant pathogen detection, fungicides, insecticides, plant growth regulators, rooting hormones, herbicides, weed-killers, neem oil, seeds, larvicidal agent, soil-enhancer, soil-conditioner, water/liquid retention, horticultural grit, composites, diagnostic devices, plant breeders, livestock, aquaculture, veterinary, poultry, and disinfecting agents.