NanoBoost: Maximizing crop resilience and yield via nanopriming under salt stress

Abstract

Salt stress poses a significant challenge to global food security by hindering crop growth and reducing yields. Nanotechnology holds significant promise for agriculture due to the unique properties of nanoparticles (NPs). Nanopriming, a method involving the soaking of seeds with NPs followed by drying, is gaining popularity for enhancing plant performance under salt stress. Nanopriming, in contrast to other NP application methods like foliar spray or soil application, demands less labor and smaller NP quantities, resulting in cost savings and reduced environmental impact. NPs utilize various mechanisms to penetrate seed coats, including diffusion through intercellular spaces, passage through aquaporins and plasmodesmata, and the formation of pores in cell walls. NPs exert their effects by modulating the level of various phytohormones and expression of genes associated with stress response pathways. NPs enhance seed water absorption, germination rates, production of compatible solutes, mineral uptake, antioxidant defense mechanisms, photosynthetic activity, and regulate ion balance in plants under salt stress. The efficacy of nanopriming is regulated by characteristics of NPs like concentration, size, type, stability, seed characteristics such as size, coat thickness, permeability, and composition, timing of NPs application and the specific plant species involved. Understanding the interaction between NPs and different plant species is essential for tailored nanopriming approaches against salt stress. While nanopriming offers promising solutions to mitigate salt stress and enhance agricultural yields, it is crucial to evaluate NPs characteristics not only for their agricultural efficacy but also for their potential impact on environment and human health.