SAiNSCE: Nanotechnology in Agriculture & Food/ India Case

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Nanotechnology Applications for Agriculture & Food

Producing & Preserving Food through Nano Technology

Present challenges in agriculture:

Food security has always been the biggest concern of the mankind. Nations, communities and Governments have been struggling with the issue since long. Particularly, it's a prime agenda for the developing world including India.

Recent decades have seen even bigger challenges on this front. The future looks even bleaker with food shortage issue looming large. The challenge is how to feed the growing population by producing more on a stagnant or shrinking landscape; with lesser input costs and with lesser hazards to the eco-system. Another adjunct to this problem is how to add to the income of agricultural producers so as to sustain their motivation to grow crops. This also leads to the question as to how to add value to what is being produced. Value for the producer as well as the consumer! And how to make the transaction in agro products smooth, safe and reliable.

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Thus, all across the world, an urgent need is being felt for more scientific and targeted management of the agriculture and food sector. Nanotechnology has answers to many of these challenges. Applications of nanotechnology have the potential to change the entire agriculture sector and food industry chain from production to conservation, processing, packaging, transportation, and even waste treatment. Strategic applications of Nano Science can do wonders in the agriculture scenario. Nano Science concepts and Nanotechnology applications have the potential to redesign the production cycle, restructure the processing and conservation processes and redefine the food habits of the people.

Nanotechnology in Agriculture: A Case Study of India

For India, nanotechnology applications in agriculture and food sector make all the more relevance and importance since the Indian economy is predominantly agriculture and given the large population to feed, the food security concern is all the more serious. The Indian agricultural scenario is also characterized by diversity of soils & agro-climatic conditions and thus diversity in crops and fluctuation in productivity. This offers as much potential as challenges in the sector. Nanotechnology applications in basic agriculture, value addition, preservation of crops and food can therefore bring a sea change in the agriculture scenario of India. Thus, applications of nanotechnology in agriculture can prove to be a big boon.

What Nanotechnology offers for Agriculture:

Major Challenges	What Nanotechnology offers
Food security for growing numbers	Use of nanotechnology in agriculture and food industry can revolutionize the sector with new tools for disease detection, targeted treatment, enhancing the ability of plants to absorb nutrients, fight diseases and withstand environmental pressures and effective systems for processing, storage and packaging
Low productivity in cultivable areas	Precision farming- Nanotechnology application here makes farming more targeted and scientific. Precision farming makes use of computers, global satellite positioning systems, and remote sensing devices to measure various parameters. Accurate information through applications of nanotechnology for real time monitoring of soil conditions, environmental changes and diseases and plant health issues
Large uncultivable areas	Bringing more areas under cultivation by Nanotechnology enabled environmental monitoring and management including cost effective water management through applications of nano science. Use of nanotechnology in agriculture can thus change the land use pattern substantially
Shrinkage of cultivable lands	The remedy is to enhance productivity through Nanotechnology driven precision farming and to maximize the output and minimize inputs through better monitoring and targeted action.
Wastage of inputs	Nanotechnology enabled sensors and smart delivery systems will help the agricultural industry combat viruses and other crop pathogens In the near future, nano structured catalysts will be available which will increase the efficiency of pesticides and herbicides, allowing lower doses to be used
Wastage of products	Precision farming through use of nanotechnology applications can also help to reduce agricultural waste and thus keep environmental pollution to a minimum
Perishability/ low shelf life	Use of nanotechnology in sensing applications will ensure food safety and security, as well as technology applications which alert the customers and shopkeepers when a food is nearing the end of its shelf-life Nanotechnology based new antimicrobial coatings and dirt repellent plastic bags are a remarkable improvement in ensuring the safety and security of packaged food
Technology limitations	Various devices designed through application of nanotechnology which include biosensor for the detection of pesticides, herbicides, insecticide, viruses, microbe will bridge this gap to a great extent Smart packaging developed by applying nano science concepts & technology would be able to repair small holes/tears, respond to environmental conditions (e.g. temperature and moisture changes), and alert the customer if the food is contaminated
Skill limitations	Nanotechnology applications have the potential to produce easy-to-handle devices which reduce the dependence on human skills on many fronts, thus reducing the human risk
Processing limitations	Nanotechnology will change the existing system of food processing and will enhance the nutritional quality of food and will ensure the safety of food products Other strategic applications of nanotechnology for use in agriculture and food processing industry include the addition of nano particles to existing foods to enable increased absorption of nutrients This is possible through selected additives and improvements to the way the body digests and absorbs food Nanotechnology is already making an impact on the development of functional or interactive foods, which respond to the body's requirements and can deliver nutrients more efficiently Research is on to develop new Nanotechnology driven "on demand" foods, which will remain dormant in the body and deliver nutrients to cells when needed. This is possible by applications of nano science
Packaging limitations	Silver nano-particles can be embedded in polymeric materials such as PVC, PE, PET while polymerization occurs Silver nanoparticles kill pathogens, bacteria, viruses and fungus and are used as a good and safe packaging pot Such nanotechnology based packaging materials are 100 times more secure than the normal one for the storage of juices, milk and other agri-products. Nanotechnology products in packaging food products thus offer immense potential Food packaging films in the name of "hybrid system" films have enormous number of silicate nano particles. They massively reduce the entrance of oxygen and other gases, and the exit of moisture, thus preventing food from spoiling or drying Nanotechnology can provide solutions for modifying the permeation behavior of foils, increasing barrier properties (mechanical, thermal, chemical, and microbial), improving mechanical and heat-resistance properties. Other Nanotechnology devices may include developing active antimicrobic and antifungal surfaces and sensing as well as signaling microbiological and biochemical changes
Diseases & calamities	The union of biotechnology and nanotechnology in sensors will create equipment of increased sensitivity, allowing an earlier response to environmental changes and diseases
Impact on Environment	Nanotechnology will also help protect the environment indirectly through the use of alternative (renewable) energy supplies, and filters or catalysts to reduce pollution and clean-up existing pollutants Nanotechnology Research also aims to make plants use water, pesticides and fertilizers more efficiently This Nanotechnology application will help to reduce pollution and to make agriculture more environmentally friendly Thus, the use of nanotechnology in agriculture will lead to a real breakthrough in this sector

More than the smart devices for producing, processing and packaging, the convergence of nanotechnology , information technology and bio technology has really given us a new whole world of agriculture. Through cell engineering, cells can be made to form and multiply faster. This will mean that crops which take months to get ready can be available in week's time; that too on much less costs. This is what is the extent of possibility through introduction of Nano science & Nanotechnology in Agriculture. The potential for producing better at reduced cost by use of technology makes it very important for a country like India.

What SAiNSCE is doing:

SAiNSCE is committed to harness the potential of nanotechnology for improving the scenario and bringing efficiency in the agri and food sector, particularly in India. Among the initial Nanotechnology steps, we at SAiNSCE have started:

Collaborating with researchers and companies producing useful nanotechnology driven tools and devices for the sector

Doing more applied research in Nanotechnology and study as to how to customize these processes and products to primarily suit the Indian requirements

Taking these nano products in the market and to demonstrate their real time ability

Getting back to the companies with user feedback about the nanotechnology , its cost and other operational issues

What SAiNSCE is planning next:

In the near future SAINSCE will zero down on certain Nanotechnology devices useful in enhancing the productivity, processing and packaging in Agriculture

India being a huge market with a still bigger hunger for food, SAINSCE will apply, popularize and sell these Nanotechnology devices

In due course of time, SAINSCE will set up its own production/manufacturing facilities to produce the said Nanotechnology devices for the Indian and global market

SAiNSCE is committed to promote the use of nanotechnology in agriculture and nanotechnology in India

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Strategic Applications Integrating Nano Science (SAiNSCE)

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