Low-Dimensional Sensors in Agriculture

Nanotechnology, with its interdisciplinary reach, offers transformative tools across medical, industrial, agricultural, and food sectors. The unique properties of nanomaterials at the nanoscale are particularly beneficial for agriculture and food diagnostics. Rapid detection of pathogens, harmful chemicals, and adverse soil conditions allows timely intervention, minimizing agricultural losses and environmental harm. In the food industry, nanotechnology is helping meet the rising demand for safe, untainted food by extending shelf life, preserving nutritional quality, and enhancing consumer health. Nano-based diagnostics provide eco-friendly and cost-effective ways to monitor soil conditions, nutrients, pesticides, and pathogens in both plants and food products. Recently, carbon dots (CDs) have gained attention for their applications in agriculture, offering benefits like photoluminescence and photoinduced electron transfer. Carbon quantum dots and graphene quantum dots, in particular, are used to monitor pesticides, mycotoxins, and environmental factors such as moisture and oxygen. These nanostructures also aid crop growth by enhancing photosynthesis and nutrient absorption, strengthening resilience against environmental and biological stressors.