Nanotechnology-Based Sustainable Alternatives for the Management of Plant Diseases

Nanotechnology-based Sustainable Alternatives for the Management of Plant Diseases addresses the power of sustainable nanomaterials for plant and food protection. Plant protection and food safety are vital in order to reduce the economic losses caused by microorganism spoilage. The control of plant pathogens in plants and in food has been conventionally made by adding chemical preservatives and by thermal processing. There is an increasing demand being made by farmers and consumers for strategies starting with the farmer’s field and ending with the supermarket shelf. Sustainable nanotechnology can be a powerful tool for providing solutions to the complex set of scientific and technological challenges necessary to improve the safety of the entire agri-food chain. Advances in materials science have led to the rapid development of nanotechnology that has great potential for improving food safety, as a powerful tool for the delivery and controlled release of natural antimicrobials, leading to an increase in plant protection and food product shelf-life. This book highlights dangers arising from bacteria, fungi, viruses, insects, seeds, plants, fruits, and food production, and summarizes new and sustainable strategies in the agricultural sector to meet these challenges. This has a particular focus on plant pathogen control and in the food  packaging sector in agri-food applications. Analyses and lays out information relating to sustainable strategies, taking a nano-based approach to the management of plant diseases and biotic damage on fresh food.Presents the latest discoveries and practical applications of nanotechnology-based sustainable plant protection strategies to combat dangerous micro-organisms, and improve the shelf life of food.Assesses the major challenges of manufacturing nanotechnology-based pesticides on a mass scale.