Vol. 11, Special Issue 10 (2022)

Pesticides have become one of the inevitable parts of Indian agriculture. Higher doses of these chemicals per hectare have led to many environmental and health risks. The development of a new scientific era, nanotechnology, led to the development of nanopesticides. Nanotechnology is an interdisciplinary science that has the potential to revolutionize current technology. Nanotechnology is commonly defined as any engineered material, structure, and system that operates at a scale of hundred nanometers or less. Due to their nanoscale, nanoparticles exhibit properties and behaviors that differ from those of coarser bulk materials with similar chemical composition. Nanopesticides have distinct physical, biological and chemical properties associated with their atomic strength. These chemicals contain a nano-sized carrier molecule or active ingredient. The research community has developed several formulations, e.g., nanoemulsions, nanosuspensions, nanoencapsulation, nanoparticles. The smaller size of the chemicals helps to spread properly on the surface of the pest and the host and therefore provides a better effect than conventional pesticides. Nano pesticides significantly reduce the dosage of chemical insecticides. Nanoparticles have been reported to pass through biological membranes and cause cell death. The role of nanotechnology in the development of nanopesticides is therefore one of the best alternatives to overcome the lacunas of the conventional group of insecticides.