Knowledge for Development

Nanotechnology in agriculture, livestock and aquaculture in China: A review

Author:

Date: 27/02/2015

Introduction:

Nanotechnologies are widely used for rapid detection and diagnosis, notably for clinical examination, food safety testing and animal epidemic surveillance. In this article, the authors review more than 200 reports on nanoscience in agriculture, livestock and aquaculture in China since the 1990s. The major findings are: (i) nanotechnologies are less developed in agronomy than other disciplines, due to less investment; (ii) nanotechnologies used for seeds and water have improved plant germination, growth, yield and quality; (iii) for livestock and poultry breeding, nanotechnologies have improved animal immunity, oxidation resistance, reduced use of antibiotics and less manure odour; (iv) nanotechnologies for water disinfection in fishponds have led to improved water quality and increased yields and survival of fish and prawns; (v) nanotechnologies have increased the performance of pesticides threefold and reduced costs by 50%; and (vi) nano-urea has increased the agronomic efficiency of nitrogen fertilization by 44.5% and grain yields by 10.2% compared with normal urea.  (Agronomy for Sustainable Development, 31/12/2014)

» Visit this site