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Nanoparticles vs Pesticides: applications and impact on agro-ecosystems

Malandrakis Anastasios

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Summary

Τhe potential of metal nanoparticles (MNPs) to be used as alternative, eco-compatible pesticides was demonstrated in several disease/pest pathosystems. Results also highlighted their potential for addressing the crucial agricultural issue of pesticide resistance, especially when combined with pesticides which leads to synergy, enabling effective management of the resistance phenomenon while simultaneously allowing for reduced dosages and consequently minimizing the environmental footprint of these drugs. However promising for crop protection, MNPs may pose both known and unknown health and environmental risks. Phytotoxicity tests on tomato plants revealed adverse effects of metal NPs on growth and physiological properties as well as on an endosymbiotic fungal strain which shields tomato plants against soil diseases and stress conditions. Therefore, since their effect on biological systems is not yet completely understood, MNPs should be further studied for undesirable effects towards non-target organisms such as phytotoxicity, toxicity to humans and environmental ecotoxicity before their commercial introduction as nano-pesticides at a large scale.

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