**3. Nanotechnology in food packaging**

Food industries are leading in forming the food with good nutritive value. For example, high impermeable packaging nanomaterials are used for protection of food from UV radiations and providing more strength to maintain the food protected from environment, increasing their shelf lives. Nanosensors are used for the detection of chemicals, gases and pathogens in food. In modern terminology, a word is given to such type of packaging as smart packaging. Some studies suggested that people are not accepting the direct involvement of nanoparticles in food due to some risk factors. Therefore, it is needed to provide some safety measurements to reduce the risk and human safety.

### **4. Conclusions**

The occurrence and development of new pathogenic races is a continuing problem, and the use of chemicals to control pests is expensive and not always effective. In recent years, the use of nanomaterials has been considered as an alternative solution to control plant pathogens. Agricultural practices usually include the

systematic application of a wide array of active compounds at variable dosages and frequencies, which represent a wide range of selective regimes.

Metal oxide nanoparticles have controlled the green peach aphid. Magnesium hydroxide, bionanoparticles synthesized were the best control to *Myzus persicae* compared to other synthetic nanoparticles. Zinc oxide nanoparticles synthesized using aqueous *Punica granatum* peel extract was tested for its potential antimicrobial activity against some selected microbes. Also this research work determined the effect of synthesized ZnONPs on green peach aphid and antibacterial efficacy against standard strains of Gram-positive *Staphylococcus aureus* and Gram-negative *Escherichia coli*. Other nanoparticles (Fe, Cu, Si, Al, Zn, ZnO, TiO2, CeO2, Al2O3 and carbon nanotubes) have also been reported to have some adverse effects on plant growth. Sometimes nanoparticles also have an adverse effect on the growth of useful soil bacteria, such as *Pseudomonas putida* KT2440. Both the concentrations of nickel nanoparticles (50 and 100 ppm) inhibited the fungal mycelial growth on solid media, and the inhibitions were significant over control. Nickel nanoparticles at 100 ppm concentration inhibited the mycelial growth of F. *oxysporum* f. sp. *lactucae* and F. *oxysporum* f. sp. *Lycopersici*.

Green methods for synthesizing nanoparticles with plant extracts are advantageous as it is simple, convenient, environment friendly and require less reaction time. Nanomaterials prepared by eco-friendly and green methods may increase agriculture potential for improving the fertilization process, plant growth regulators, pesticides delivery of active component to the desired target sites, treatment of wastewater and also enhancing the absorption of nutrients in plant. In addition, they minimize the amount of harmful chemicals that pollutes the environment. Hence, this technology helps in reducing the environmental pollutants. Nanotechnology has recently gained attention due to wide applications in different fields such as in agriculture medicine and environment. The large surface area offered by the tiny nanoparticles, which have high surface area, makes them attractive to address challenges not met by different control methods.

Nanotechnology applications are currently being researched, tested and in some cases already applied across the entire spectrum of food technology, from agriculture to food processing, packaging and food supplements. They are with unique chemical, physical, and mechanical properties. In recent years, agricultural waste products have attracted attention as source of renewable raw materials. Insecticide resistance is one of the best examples of evolution occurring on an ecological time scale. The study of insecticide resistance is important, because it leads to a better understanding of evolutionary mechanisms operating in real time. The development of insecticide resistance in pest insects has been an increasing problem for agriculture and public health. Agricultural practices usually include the systematic application of a wide array of active compounds at variable dosages and frequencies.

## **Acknowledgements**

The authors are appreciating the support of the University of Jordan, Agriculture School, Amman, Jordan; Aqaba University of Technology, Pharmacy School, Aqaba, Jordan; and King Abdul Aziz University, Center of Nanotechnology, Jedda, Saudi Arabia Kingdom. In addition, they appreciate the contribution of Ms. Nada Al-Antary for her typing and computer work.

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**Author details**

Alaa Y. Ghidan1

Amman, Jordan

and Tawfiq M. Al Antary2

provided the original work is properly cited.

1 Pharmacy School, Aqaba University of Technology, Aqaba, Jordan

\*

2 Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Plant Protection, University of Jordan,

\*Address all correspondence to: tawfiqalantary@yahoo.com; t.antary@ju.edu.jo

© 2019 The Author(s). Licensee IntechOpen. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/ by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium,

*Applications of Nanotechnology in Agriculture DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.88390*

### **Conflict of interest**

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

*Applications of Nanotechnology in Agriculture DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.88390*

*Applications of Nanobiotechnology*

systematic application of a wide array of active compounds at variable dosages and

Metal oxide nanoparticles have controlled the green peach aphid. Magnesium hydroxide, bionanoparticles synthesized were the best control to *Myzus persicae*

compared to other synthetic nanoparticles. Zinc oxide nanoparticles synthesized using aqueous *Punica granatum* peel extract was tested for its potential antimicrobial activity against some selected microbes. Also this research work determined the effect of synthesized ZnONPs on green peach aphid and antibacterial efficacy against standard strains of Gram-positive *Staphylococcus aureus* and Gram-negative *Escherichia coli*. Other nanoparticles (Fe, Cu, Si, Al, Zn, ZnO, TiO2, CeO2, Al2O3 and carbon nanotubes) have also been reported to have some adverse effects on plant growth. Sometimes nanoparticles also have an adverse effect on the growth of useful soil bacteria, such as *Pseudomonas putida* KT2440. Both the concentrations of nickel nanoparticles (50 and 100 ppm) inhibited the fungal mycelial growth on solid media, and the inhibitions were significant over control. Nickel nanoparticles at 100 ppm concentration inhibited the mycelial growth of F. *oxysporum* f. sp. *lactucae* and F. *oxysporum* f. sp. *Lycopersici*.

Green methods for synthesizing nanoparticles with plant extracts are advantageous as it is simple, convenient, environment friendly and require less reaction time. Nanomaterials prepared by eco-friendly and green methods may increase agriculture potential for improving the fertilization process, plant growth regulators, pesticides delivery of active component to the desired target sites, treatment of wastewater and also enhancing the absorption of nutrients in plant. In addition, they minimize the amount of harmful chemicals that pollutes the environment. Hence, this technology helps in reducing the environmental pollutants. Nanotechnology has recently gained attention due to wide applications in different fields such as in agriculture medicine and environment. The large surface area offered by the tiny nanoparticles, which have high surface area, makes them attrac-

Nanotechnology applications are currently being researched, tested and in some cases already applied across the entire spectrum of food technology, from agriculture to food processing, packaging and food supplements. They are with unique chemical, physical, and mechanical properties. In recent years, agricultural waste products have attracted attention as source of renewable raw materials. Insecticide resistance is one of the best examples of evolution occurring on an ecological time scale. The study of insecticide resistance is important, because it leads to a better understanding of evolutionary mechanisms operating in real time. The development of insecticide resistance in pest insects has been an increasing problem for agriculture and public health. Agricultural practices usually include the systematic application of a

frequencies, which represent a wide range of selective regimes.

tive to address challenges not met by different control methods.

wide array of active compounds at variable dosages and frequencies.

Nada Al-Antary for her typing and computer work.

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

The authors are appreciating the support of the University of Jordan, Agriculture School, Amman, Jordan; Aqaba University of Technology, Pharmacy School, Aqaba, Jordan; and King Abdul Aziz University, Center of Nanotechnology, Jedda, Saudi Arabia Kingdom. In addition, they appreciate the contribution of Ms.

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**Acknowledgements**

**Conflict of interest**
