Are Nanomaterials a Real Solution for Sustainable Agriculture?

Jose R Peralta-Videa*

Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, United States

*Corresponding Author: Jose R Peralta-Videa, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, United States.

Received: January 20, 2018; Published: February 05, 2018

Citation: Jose R Peralta-Videa. “Are Nanomaterials a Real Solution for Sustainable Agriculture?" Acta Scientific Agriculture 2.3 (2018).

  Malthus’ prediction that “the power of population is indefinitely greater than the power in the earth to produce subsistence for man” [1] generated an endless search for better crop production strategies. The response to such a prediction was almost immediate. In 1880, just two years after the prediction, farmers were able to increase crop production in low fertility soils with the help of an unexpected ally, chemical fertilizers [2]. Chemical fertilizers proved to be so efficacious that by 1950, they were considered as a "sine qua non" component for high crop production [2]. Of course, success cannot not be attributed solely to the use of chemical fertilizers; pesticides, including insecticides, fungicides, and herbicides, had a relevant contribution. The end of World War II marked a difference between the use of cultural practices and the boom in the use of inorganic pesticides [3]. However, yield increases due to chemical fertilizers, aided by inorganic pesticides, began to stabilize. In addition, the use of pesticides created social controversies due to undesirable environmental effects. At this stage, plant breeders contributed a third variable to boost crop yield. Geneticists manipulated plant materials, at all levels, generating high yielding varieties (HYVs) of crops tolerant to several pests. By 1960, HYVs, cultivated in soil amended with chemical fertilizers, treated with chemical pesticides, and irrigated with enough water, increased yields in such a manner that the achievement was called the “green revolution” [2].

Copyright: © 2018 Jose R Peralta-Videa. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.