Nanotechnologies in Food and Agriculture

352 Pages·2015·5.153 MB·English

by  Mahendra Rai, Caue Ribeiro, Luiz Mattoso, Nelson Duran

Mahendra Rai · Caue Ribeiro
Luiz Mattoso · Nelson Duran Editors
Nanotechnologies
in Food and
Agriculture
Nanotechnologies in Food and Agriculture
ThiSisaFMBlankPage
Mahendra Rai (cid:129) Caue Ribeiro
Luiz Mattoso (cid:129) Nelson Duran
Editors
Nanotechnologies in Food
and Agriculture
Editors
MahendraRai CaueRibeiro
DepartmentofBiotechnology LuizMattoso
SGBAmravatiUniversity BrazilianAgriculturalResearch
Amravati Corporation-Instrumentation
Maharashtra EmbrapaInstrumentation
India SaoCarlos
Brazil
NelsonDuran
InstituteofChemistry
BiologicalChemistryLaboratory
UniversidadeEstadualdeCampinas
Campinas
Brazil
ISBN978-3-319-14023-0 ISBN978-3-319-14024-7 (eBook)
DOI10.1007/978-3-319-14024-7
LibraryofCongressControlNumber:2015935273
SpringerChamHeidelbergNewYorkDordrechtLondon
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Foreword
In 1970, Norman Borlaug won the Nobel Peace prize for his role in transforming
agricultureinwhatbecameknownasthe“GreenRevolution.”Thegreenrevolution
occurredafterWorldWarIIandinvolvedadvancesinplantbreedingprogramsthat
selectedfordiseaseresistant,highyieldingvarietiesofstaplecropssuchaswheat,
rice and maize. It also involved the development and increased use of synthetic
pesticides, chemical fertilizers, and mechanization. Borlaug was known as “the
man who saved a billion lives.” Countries with impoverished populations that
traditionally imported staple crops became self sufficient or even exporters
themselves.
Borlaugrecognizedthatwhilethegreenrevolutionusheredintheeraofmodern
agriculture,furtheradvanceswouldbenecessarytomeettheever-growingworld-
widedemandforfoodcommodities.Hispredictionisprovingtrue.Accordingtoa
UnitedNationsreport,theworldpopulationsurpassedsevenbillionin2011andis
expected to increase almost 30 % by the year 2050. Nearly all of the population
growth is projected to occur in developing nations where resources are already
stretched to their limits. Maintaining the current level of agricultural production
willbechallengingenoughformanycountriesbutincreasingcropyieldsby30%
maybeimpossiblewithoutthehelpofnewtechnologies.
Further complicating the issue is the fact that many of the intense farming
practicesintroducedduringthegreenrevolution,whileproductive,areconsidered
unsustainable over the long-term. For example, some estimates indicate that only
30 % of the chemicals applied by conventional means is actually utilized by the
crop. Much of the fertilizer and pesticides applied in the field by conventional
meansislostthroughvariousmechanismsincludingspraydrift(wind),volatiliza-
tion,leachingintogroundwater,andinwaterrunofffromirrigationorrainfall.The
poor efficiency of conventional field applications of agricultural chemicals is a
growingconcernduetothecostofthematerialsandtheirfateintheenvironment.
Agricultureisoneoftheprimarysourcesofpollutionfromchemicalsfoundtohave
leached into groundwater. It is also a primary source of chemicals discovered in
waterrunoffthatenterintorivers,lakes,andestuaries.Fertilizerrunoffcontaining
nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus can cause eutrophication of lakes, rivers,
v
vi Foreword
streamsandestuaries.Theimpactofheavypesticideuseonfishes,birds,andother
wildlifepopulationshasbeenwelldocumented.Environmentalistshavecalledfora
reductionintheuseofagriculturalchemicalsinordertodecreasepollutionofour
groundwater and waterways and to conserve resources. Many consumers also
demandlesschemicaluseinagricultureasasteptowardreducingpesticideresidue
onfarmproduce.
Responding to these and other challenging issues in food and agriculture will
require new, impactful technologies. Nanotechnology is one of the exciting new
fieldsofresearchthatholdsgreatpromiseinaddressingmanyofthepressingneedsin
thefoodandagriculturesectors.Nanomaterialstypicallyhaveatleastonedimension
that is in the size range of 1–100 nm. The small size confers unique beneficial
propertiesthatcannotbematchedbysimilarmaterialsthathavealargersizerange.
Severalcountrieshaverecognizedthepotentialimpactofnanotechnologycouldhave
ontheireconomiesandinvestingheavilyinresearch.Insomecases,theresearchis
done through initiatives such as with the National Nanotechnology Initiative that
bringstogetheracollaborativeteamof20departmentsandindependentagenciesin
the USA. In most cases, however, nanotechnology research is accomplished at
researchcenters,universities, and governmentlaboratoriesscattered throughoutthe
world. Periodic reviews that compile the research advances in particular fields are
neededtodeterminethestateofthetechnologyandtospurfurtherinterest.
Althoughstillinitsinfancy,theimpactofnanotechnologyisalreadybeingfelt
in diverse fields of science including medicine, physics, materials science, and
agriculture.Productssuchasfuelcells,batteries,solarpanels,sensors,andmedical
devices are beginning to enter the marketplace. In agriculture, nanoencapsulation
technologyischangingthewayagriculturalchemicalswillbeappliedinthefuture.
Conventionalmethodsofapplyingagriculturalchemicalsinthefieldoftenresultin
overdosinginordertoensurethatsufficientactiveagentisdeliveredtowhereitis
needed.Environmentalproblemsarecreatedwhentheexcesschemicalsendupin
waterways. Nanoencapsulation makes it possible to reduce chemical dosage
becauseitcanbeappliedmoreefficientlytoadesiredtargetarea.
An example of nanoencapsulation has been demonstrated with starch micro-
spheres that can encapsulate active agent within a nanoporous matrix. The
microbeads are small enough to attach to the hairs on bees similar to pollen.
Once they attach, they slowly release the active agent that repels the parasite,
thus providing maximum protection using a minimal amount of active agent.
Another exampleis theuse ofnanogels for thecontrolled releaseofinsect phero-
mones that target specific pests. Nanoencapsulation is also being used to improve
theefficiencyoffertilizerapplicationsandreducethevolumeofchemicalspollut-
ingourgroundwaterandwaterways.
In food applications, nanosensors and nanobiosensors are being explored as a
meansofdetectingfoodpathogensandimprovingfoodsafety.Nanotechnologyis
also being used in food packaging as a means of prolonging shelf life of produce
and decreasing bacterial counts. These are only a few examples of the use of
nanomaterialsinfoodandagriculturebut,newnanomaterialsandapplicationsare
beingreportedonacontinualbasis.
Foreword vii
Thispublicationisnotmeanttobeacomprehensivetreatisesincethefieldisstill
evolvingandnewapplicationsarebeingreportedonaregularbasis.However,itis
intendedtoprovideaninvaluableresourceonsomeofthecurrentapproachesand
applications of nanotechnology in food and agriculture. It is also intended to
provide a platform for establishing collaborations, formulating strategies, and
spawningnewideasandapproachesthatwillhelpresolvesomeofthemostvexing
challengesfacingfoodandagricultureinagrowingworld.
UnitedStatesDepartmentofAgriculture GregoryGlenn
800BuchananStreet
Albany,CA94710,USA
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Preface
Inthetwenty-firstcentury,nanotechnology(NT)hasbeenplayingacrucialrolein
food and agriculture. It is a new science with emerging technologies in different
fieldsingeneralandagricultureinparticular.Thenanoparticleshavelargesurface
area to the volume ratio, which provides better opportunity for interaction.
The technology has a great potential to solve various issues, which have been a
great problem so far. This technology may open up new avenues in agricultural
production. The various emerging technologies include nanoagrochemicals
(nanofertilizer, nanopesticides, herbicides), nanobiosensor, food processing and
storage, food packaging and labeling, fruit preservation, food quality (nutritional
supplement and nutritional drinks), plant growth promoters, crop improvement
(nanoparticles-mediated gene transfer), role of nanocarriers in delivery of nitric
oxide,nano-enhancedbiotreatmentforagriculturalwastewater,etc.
Theseemergingnanotechnologiesneedtobeevaluatedforsafetytotheenviron-
mentandlivingbeings.Themainissueistoxicityoftheagrochemicalsinsoilsand
ultimately infood chains.Thenew and emerging technologies has a wide knowl-
edge gap and understanding of the toxicity. Due to inadequate knowledge, it is
muchdifficulttoassesstherisksposedbynanoparticles.Thereisagreaterneedto
developadequateriskmanagementstrategies.
This book has been divided into three parts: Part I incorporates emerging
nanotechnologies, Part II deals with nanotechnologiesused in detection, delivery,
andtreatment,PartIIIaddressesthetoxicityissuesandacceptance ofthistechno-
logybypublic.
The book on emerging nanotechnologies would be immensely useful for a
diversegroupofreadersincludingphysicists,chemists,microbiologists,biotechno-
logists, food technologists, agriculture engineers, nanotechnologists, lawyers and
thosewhoareinterestedinthesenewertechnologies.Thestudentsshouldfindthis
bookuseful.
We thank the staff of Springer for helpful suggestions and patience during the
editingwork.
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