Preparation and Application of Plant-Derived Nano-Solutions in Agricultural Disease Control

Abstract

Global demand for food and threats from plant disease require sustainable tactics for managing pests. Conventional pesticides, though efficient, are plagued with limitations such as persistence in the environment, non‑target toxicity, and resistance building up. Green nano-solutions – nanomaterials made or formulated with plant extracts, biomolecules, or botanically derived substances – are an exciting alternative. These "green" nanotechnologies utilize phytochemicals (polyphenols, flavonoids, etc.) as reducing/capping agents to generate metallic or polymer nanoparticles that show strong antimicrobial potency. Nanoformulations (e.g., nanoencapsulated essential oils) can offer bioactive plant constituents with better stability and controlled release. Herein, we discuss procedures for preparing plant-source nano-pesticides (green synthesis, nanoemulsions, encapsulation, stabilization, and characterization) and list recent experimental findings on their ability to control bacterial, fungal, viral, and nematode pathogenesis. Reports indicate strong inhibition of varied pathogens (e.g., Fusarium, Botrytis, Xanthomonas) by nanoparticles made from biological processes. Mechanisms of action are membrane permeabilization, ion release, and oxidizing insult. Significantly, most of these formulations show low phytotoxicity and reduced non‑target activity under assayed conditions. From a sustainable agricultural perspective, nano-pesticides made from plants offer efficient control of pests with potentially reduced chemical burden and better selectivity. Here, we discuss their merits (efficacy, biodegradability), limitations (scale‑up, regulatory obstacles, incomplete toxicity), ecological concerns (accumulation, soil microbiome effect), and future prospects (sophisticated delivery with precision, field experiments, safety studies with respect to environment). Our review emphasizes that nanotechnologies from plants, compatible with circular‑economy philosophy, can further bring down environmentally safe disease control, with proper assessment of their safety and long‑term impact.