Nanosensors and nanobiosensors for sustainable agriculture

The continuous increase in food demand due to global population growth and crop yield decline due to various biotic and abiotic stresses are the major concerns in agriculture. Conventional approaches available are not sufficient to mitigate all these challenges. Therefore searching for more effective alternatives becomes an urgent need. In this context, the application of nanotechnology can be a revolutionary step toward sustainable agriculture. Nanobiosensors are biosensors usually developed using certain kinds of nanomaterials that possess unique physio-chemical properties. Nanobiosensors are highly sensitive and reliable in biosensing compared to conventional sensors. Therefore the development of nanobiosensors and their application methods for monitoring soil conditions, detection, and managing of plant pathogens and severe infections, etc., can help enhance crop productivity with minimum use of natural resources. In this chapter, various recent applications of nanobiosensors in sustainable agriculture have been focused on.