Smart agriculture and nanotechnology: Technology, challenges, and new perspective

In the recent past, much nanotechnology research has been done in an effort to increase agricultural productivity. The Green Revolution led to the careless use of pesticides and artificial fertilizers, which reduced soil biodiversity and led to the development of disease and insect resistance. This article highlights the worldwide development and status of precision agriculture. Precision agriculture utilizes technologies and principles to manage spatial and temporal variability in agricultural production to improve crop performance and environmental quality. In precision agriculture (PA), information technology (IT) is used to make sure that crops and soil receive exactly what they require for optimal productivity and health. Precision farming includes the use of hardware i.e., a global positioning system (GPS) and geographic information system (GIS), different software of GIS, and traditional knowledge of agriculture management practices. The benefits of precision agriculture can be seen in both the economic and environmental aspects of agricultural production. Only nanoparticles or nanochips can transport materials to plants in a nanoparticle-mediated manner and create sophisticated biosensors for precision farming. Conventional fertilizers, insecticides, and herbicides can be nano encapsulated to provide exact doses to plants through a gradual, continuous release of nutrients and agrochemicals. The main topics included in this article are the variability of natural resources, variability management; administrative districts; the impact of precision farming technologies on farm profitability and the environment; innovations in sensors, controls, and remote sensing, information management; trends in global application and acceptance of precision farming technologies; potential and possibilities of technology along with challenges in agricultural modernization. Modern equipment and procedures based on nanotechnology have the ability to solve many of the issues in conventional agriculture and might transform this industry. There are many challenges in the implementation of smart agriculture equipment and approaches in the field as this technique uses both hardware and software. The cost of labour for managing IoT devices and the cost-of-service registration are included in the system operational cost. Additionally, there are operating costs related to the use of energy, maintenance, and communication between IoT devices, gateways, and cloud servers. In this review, nanotechnology is explored as a potential tool in precision agriculture, as well as the advantages of nanoparticles in agriculture, such as the use of fertilizers. By using precision agriculture, the food production chain can be monitored and quality and quantity can be managed effectively.