Published in Scientific Bulletin. Series F. Biotechnologies, Vol. XXIX, Issue 1
Written by Evelina GHERGHINA, Gabriela LUȚĂ, Daniela BĂLAN
Global warming, plant diseases and environmental issues such as excessive use of pesticides and fertilizers have affected the production yield in the agricultural sector. Promoted in the last decade or so, nanotechnology has been offering sustainable solutions to conventional agriculture, having a major impact on improving crop productivity and nutrient supply by increasing and regulating the availability of minerals in the soil. Thus, zinc oxide nanoparticles are widely used in agriculture, due to the multiple roles of zinc in the plant cell, such as the involvement in regulating the metabolism of the proteins, lipids, sugars, and nucleic acids, its enzymatic cofactor activity for some enzymes involved in photosynthesis, or being key element in cellular biomembranes. Although the widespread use of nanoparticles can lead to phytotoxicity phenomena, the research direction in recent years is focused on balancing positive and negative effects. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to update the informations about the applications and the effects of zinc compounds and zinc oxide nanoparticles in agricultural practices.
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