Zinc oxide nanoparticles: biogenesis and applications against phytopathogens

Plant diseases and pests are responsible for 20–40% crop losses annually, threatening food security. Agrichemicals are extensively used to manage diseases and pests but their use is raising concerns due to their toxicity to humans and the environment. Nanotechnology has the potency of transforming the pesticide industry by decreasing toxicity, extending durability, and enhancing the dissolution rate of poorly water-soluble pesticides, which can all positively influence the environment. Biogenic-based synthesis of nanoparticles like zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZNPs) are of high interest for various applications such as the management of plant diseases because of their distinctive characteristics compared with engineered nanomaterials synthesized from bulk minerals. The prospect of producing ZNPs with biological activity is of heightened interest for their application against plant pathogens. ZNPs have antimicrobial capabilities and their characteristics depend on their size, shape, and reactivity. As a result, microbe-mediated ZNPs synthesis has dramatically expanded in recent years as an alternative to chemical and physical synthesis methods. These ZNPs have promising targeted antimicrobial properties and low phytotoxicity activities, making them appealing for antiviral, antibacterial, and antimycotic activities against a variety of pathogenic microbes, and for improve agricultural productivity, although potential biosafety issues need to be considered.