So, welcome back into the lecture series on
nanotechnology in agriculture.
So as of now we have talked about the seed
treatment with iron pyrite, the reason to
stress upon it is that there are very few
studies as of now which has seen the whole
production in the field post seed treatment.
As a matter of fact, seed treatment as such
have been studied with nanomaterial mostly
in terms of germination, how it influences
the germination.
But to see the whole spectrum of growth in
terms in germination to (()) (00:50) and analyzing
the final product hardly any studies there
almost none, at least which are published.
So that was one of the reasons why I invested
so much time on telling about 1 material which
has have a result of the complete spectrum
in turns of the final production and the nutrition
analysis.
Today what I will do, I will give you a kind
of a summary sheet of the other nanomaterial
which been investigated currently or under
intense investigation primarily at the level
of either foliar spray or germination or seed
link treatment and the growth but not that
I have given you all the productions and everything
not in that level.
So, one of the common nanoparticles which
has been used pretty frequently is silver
nanoparticle.
And by the way even if you miss out here I
will be giving you some of those publications
where these comprehensive tables have an included.
So, you can really refer to those table and
you can check the cross-references and you
will find there are quite a number of studies
which is come from India.
And there are really pretty neat studies and
you will appreciate and there was one which
you like which is on hydroponics.
So, there are several lines of application
which is emerging as nanotechnology is not
changed from an intensity to it is maturity.
We are realizing many interesting aspects,
so let us continue silver, silver nanoparticles
have been used on jasmine rice.
On jasmine rice seed priming and it has been
shown to enhance germination it was been germination
like g enhance germination and it also promotes
germination of Ag in seeds.
And in other words, as we have mention earlier
that you can really stop that aging process
within the leaf by manipulating it is enzyme
activity that precisely what silver does not,
silver is an antibacterial and it has several
other antimicrobial activities.
So, this is about silver similarly we have
already told about iron especially iron sulfur
it has been tried on chickpea.
Similarly zinc, zinc has been tried for seed
priming which increases seed wheat and other
aspect similarly calcium multi volt carbon
nanotube.
So, zinc, calcium, multi volt carbon nanotube,
so these have been treated as a seed priming
which has been shown it increase the stress
tolerance.
This is another area where people are working
and you will have all the references coming
up in a publication.
Similarly, we have talked about iron pyrite
where in chickpea, spinach, beetroot, carrot,
fenugreek, alfalfa, mustard, sesame, rice
in a whole ring.
Similarly, if we move onto Cerium oxide another
very important nanoparticle in terms of it
is done for it is biomedical application.
It has been tried out in radish germination
but it has a negative result and has shown
it retards the germination but that has it
is own advantage.
Because this is a very similar result what
we have observed with spinach it retards or
it is slows down the germination, why it slows
down the germination.
There is an interesting question we try to
answer because it chooses a member what promote
the germination, germination is promoted by
removing the blockage offered by antioxidant
enzyme towards that towards amylase not to
function.
So, amylase if you recollect the amylase is
the enzymes which involved in breaking down
of the starch which is one of the most important
events which regulates the germination process
right.
Now these antioxidant enzymes catalyze superoxide
dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, these antioxidant
enzymes prevent the activity of amylase.
But then what FeS2 does, FeS2 produces a trace
amount of hydrogen peroxide that hydrogen
peroxide grows and breaks down the starch
and the releases the reducing sugars and they
are avoid a plan get ready source of energy
pretty fast as compare to control once and
it grows.
Now what Cerium oxide does, why Cerium oxide
retard germination, if you think of its Cerium
oxide in nature is an antioxidant molecule.
It is a 3-atom antioxidant with swap in it
is oxidation state from C3 to C4, C4 to C3
is an auto catalytic antioxidant.
And this is what Cerium is all about, so and
Cerium we new readily in biomedical research
especially in spinal cord injury in retinal
degeneration of the photoreceptor could be
retarded by using a supplementing the retina
with Cerium oxide.
Similarly, has been used in cancer patient
where undergoing radiation therapy because
it protects the healthy cells around the affected
area of the tumor or the cancer growth.
So, if you use an antioxidant what you are
essentially doing you are adding into the
list of 3 antioxidant what I told you right
catalyst, peroxidase, superoxide dismutase+Cerium.
So, you are actually preventing the seed from
germination.
So, in other word that gives us a clue what
it is say for example you are storing seed
and it is a damp weather when you really have
to ensure that you know they get that you
can use this as a seed storage material.
So, any result forth comes it is up to you
why not apply it, so it traces amount of it
and it is going to work.
Because at the nano resume we need to one
need the whole amount of it.
So, that is why this piece of information
that is retard germination could also be used
for seed storage.
So, glutathione peroxidase, catalyst, superoxide
dismutase+CeO2 this is the battery of (09:10)
working.
Now from cerium oxide move on to carbon nano
tubes, carbon nanotube in tomato has been
shown to enhance seed germination.
Similarly, water-soluble carbon nanotubes
in chickpea has shown to increase the growth,
similarly silver has been treated silver nanoparticle
have been treated on fenugreek seed, it increases
the fenugreek seedlings sorry it has increased
the leaf numbers, shoot length, root length
and wet weight.
Similarly, molybdenum has been tried on chickpea
seedlings, it has been increasing the root
and nodule number and as development of microorganisms
in the (()) (19:53).
Similarly, manganese has been trying in on
mong beans seedlings other this is the state
where I mention seed or seedling of any other
flower spray or something else.
This increase the root length, shoot length,
dry weight, chlorophyll, carotenoid contained
and for synthesis rate.
Citric acid coated Cerium oxide and the radish
seedling retarded seed germination but the
change the see performance as I have already
mention calcium carbonate despite on peanut
seedlings it significantly improves seedling
growth, magnesium tried on black eyed pea
seedlings it increases seed rate similarly
iron tried on black eyed pea in hydroponic
foliar and seedlings it increased weight and
chlorophyll content.
Zinc oxide tried on mong bean and chickpeas
seedlings it increases shoot length and root
length and biomass.
Carbon nanotube tried on anion seedlings it
increases the root growth, zinc oxide it is
tried on cucumber in the soil mixture as well
on seedling it increases root dry mass and
fruit starch, this is very interesting see
think about zinc it increases the food starch.
So, in other word you have ability to modulate
nutrition of status of the fruit.
So, now from there we move onto copper oxide
Co it was tried on water weed seedlings it
increases it is percentage rate Cu2O.
Similarly, Fe2O3 tried on spinach in hydroponics
it increases plant biomass root and shoot.
Similarly zinc fortified core manganese carbon
at nano shell tried on rice in soil it increases
green yield it is pretty complex one though,
you have zinc fortified because zinc is (()) (11:54)
disease, zinc deficiency zinc fortified core
and manganese carbonate nano shell.
It is a pretty complex synthesis process which
is directly applied to the soil it increases
the grain yield, zinc oxide on chickpea through
foliar spray on seedling increase biomass
accumulation.
Similarly, iron tried on wheat foliar spray
in as for synthesis chlorophyll and biomass,
so this is exhausted really can you know on
and on but the fact of matter what I wanted
to highlight here is there are series of it
so it we really numbered of the kind of nano
particle we just now talked about.
So, if we list then we talked about silver,
we talked about iron, we talked about zinc,
calcium, multi volt carbon nano tubes, carbon
nano anions, FeS2 which is pyrite.
Then we talked about cerium oxide, carbon
nanotubes in CNTs and water-soluble carbon
nanotubes.
And again, a silver, molybdenum, manganese,
citric acid coated Co2 which is acting as
a carrier calcium carbonate, magnesium, iron,
zinc oxide.
Carbon nanotubes, copper oxide, cuprous oxide,
iron oxide so and so forth.
So, if you look at the whole list is fairly
large.
And if you look in terms of the crops where
at different stages of it has been tried that
is also a very small list in terms of the
grains if you look at it, you have both rice
and wheat has been tried out legumes all over
the place have been tried out different kind
of legumes.
I am just going that the family then in terms
of a series of vegetables which have been
tried out.
Similarly, you have some of the water weeds
and all these things have been tried out.
So, to look from the nutritional perspective
you have starch, minerals and of course (()) (14:55)
and proteins.
So, if you talk about where are we heading
the future is in these kinds of nanomaterials
which will be dictate, so there will be lot
of studies which is going to come up in next
20 years or so.
And this is going to change the landscape
of agriculture we are heading for a next revolution
where beyond will be started will start thinking
the word beyond NPK’s traditional journey.
This is where we are heading, we started as
a race in the last century 1900 beginning
1900 the rise of NPK and 100 years, 100 long
years a little more than 100 years actually
at 1725 years now about be in and another
decade or so.
A journey which saw green revolution emergence
of low verities of rice and wheat, emergence
of different kind of polyploidies in vegetables
and other crops in fruit crops.
So tremendous development along with it, tremendous
improvement in the productivity it is saw
the rice of population.
But as a fall out we observe large amount
of disbalance in terms of water resources,
eco system got put up similarly the soil got
fertile.
But then the (()) (16:58) grows on we are
heading for precision agriculture.
And the nanotechnology will play a critical
role in precision agriculture where smaller
amount maximum output.
So, people have apprehensions what will happen
to the fate and all these things and there
will continue I am pretty sure when NPK came
into the market there were apprehension when
you cannot help it.
We are the race will keep on exploring just
away we explore hybrid seeds will keep on
exploring genetically engineered crop which
are so common now, that is how a human race
about it will keep on trying new and newer
things, it will learn to it is mistake and
it will again do mistakes.
So, if I see the literature I will say that
is where the future lies, so 
it was not only it concentrated on crops.
Already nano medicine is making enroll into
our medical world, there are several nanomaterials
which have been used from magnetic nanomaterial
to antioxidant nanomaterial to drug carriers
to anti inflammatory agents’ series of the
anti cancer nanomaterial delivering drugs
beyond CSF cerebrospinal fluid into the brain.
So, next what we are talk about will be how
this nanomaterial are influencing animal productivity,
the animal world, so agriculture has been
have started.
So, if you look at the whole spectrum of agriculture
it will be plant world, animal world and within
the plant you know all the categories like
you know we have the grain, we have the legume
or the flowers, you have the trees and all.
But before I start the animal world in how
the nanotechnology is influencing the animal
world.
We will talk little bit more in our next class
about how nanotechnology can come very handy
in nutrient deficient soils of the world which
covers a huge chunk in Asia, Africa, Latin
America.
And where fertilizers are exceptionally cost
prohibitive, so I will be closing here, in
the next we will talk little bit about nutrient
deficient soils and the application of nanomaterial.
And then we will follow up with the animal
productivity, thank you.
