Nanotechnology in Plant Nanobionics: Mechanisms, Applications, and Future Perspectives

Plants are vital to ecosystems and human survival, possessing intricate internal and inter-plant signaling networks that allow them to adapt quickly to changing environments and maintain ecological balance. The integration of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) with plant systems has led to the emergence of plant nanobionics, a field that holds the potential to enhance plant capabilities significantly. This integration may result in improved photosynthesis, increased nutrient uptake, and accelerated growth and development. Plants treated with ENMs can be stress mitigators, pollutant detectors, environmental sensors, and even light emitters. This review explores recent advancements in plant nanobionics, focusing on nanoparticle (NP) synthesis, adhesion, uptake, transport, fate, and application in enhancing plant physiological functioning, stress mitigation, plant health monitoring, energy production, environmental sensing, and overall plant growth and productivity. Potential research directions and challenges in plant nanobionics are highlighted, and how material optimization and innovation are propelling the growth in the field of smart agriculture, pollution remediation, and energy/biomass production are discussed.