According to a Mongabay report, nanotechnology can effectively treat
seeds and roots for increased yield with minimal resources. "The idea is
to prepare ourselves with future agro-productivity tools, which can be executed
with minimal resources and in any sort of emergencies – be it in tough
terrains, warlike situations, pandemics/epidemics, or even international trade
embargoes," Himanshi Jangir, a doctoral student at IIT Kanpur's Design
Program was quoted as saying.
According to a UN report, in situations like the ongoing nation-wide
lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19, farmers find it difficult to get vital
resources such as seeds, fertilisers, and field labour. Crops that are already
planted are at risk due to a lack of labour. Most of the migrant workers have
been forced to return home owing to quarantine measures. According to Jangir,
the COVID-19 pandemic has pushed scientists to design futuristic sustainable
strategies that are locally viable, such as nanotechnology, for agriculture
sectors. Reportedly, India had started a National Nanotechnology Mission more
than a decade ago. This field has been utilized in the agriculture sector which
is considered to be the backbone of the Indian economy.
Jangir with her colleagues at the Indian Institute of Technology,
Kanpur, is currently working with nano iron pyrite to boost crop productivity.
The team has engineered nanoparticles consisting of iron and sulfur and have a
diameter 1,000 times smaller than that of a human hair. "The application
of nano fertiliser is one approach to restore the sustainability of the soil.
We discovered another nano approach whereby it is feasible to bolster seed and
root metabolism. It is by a brief treatment of seed or root with an iron-sulfur
nano-bio-stimulant, that is, nanopyrite," said Jangir. "Here we
discovered that nanoparticles of iron pyrite boost the seed and root metabolism
and increase the production of wheat (grain crop), chickpea (legume crop),
cabbage, cauliflower, tomato (vegetable crops)," she added. According to
her if the metabolic activity of the seed or roots is boosted at the very onset
of their journey in the soil, the plant is capable of growing better and
assimilating nutrients optimally. It eventually results in higher production
and requires less fertiliser. The team has observed that wheat and chickpea
production increases significantly following twelve hours of seed treatment
with nano iron pyrite before sowing the seeds. The effective cost of
manufacturing 500 mg of nano pyrite in laboratory conditions is Rs 26. 500 mg
is adequate to treat almost 10 kg of rice seeds (dose 50 microgram/ml).
Whereas, for 10 kg of rice seeds, fertiliser input (NPK) costs Rs 890. The
Indian government had earlier in 2019 proposed a set of guidelines to regulate
and maintain the quality and safety of the products and processes.