Unravelling the use of nanotechnology for crop pest management as a green and sustainable agriculture

Abstract Background Humans are looking for innovative options to combat major problematic biotic hurdles like crop pests (insect pests and diseases) in agriculture. Synthetic pesticides are widely employed to control pests and diseases, which leads to several issues, including pest resistance, eradication of natural enemies, contamination of the environment, biodiversity loss and health risks to humans. This review will shed light on future alternatives for crop pest management. Mani body Nanotechnology is one of the most innovative and promising alternatives for crop pest management to handle problems associated with chemical pesticides by converting the active element to nanoparticles (NPs). Because of the bigger surface area, NPs guarantee that a greater volume comes into touch with the surfaces. According to numerous research findings, nanopesticide formulations derived from NPs successfully manage crop pests and other biotic stress. They offer a long-term controlled release of the pesticide molecules, which are more environmentally friendly, selective, and target specific. Additionally, the quantity of nanopesticides needed to control insects is smaller, which lowers the chemical burden on the environment. Conclusion As an alternative to chemical molecules, nanopesticides act as a very important tool for managing insect pests and diseases. Technologies such as smart pest monitoring, precision delivery, nano-RNAi and target release nanopesticides create new avenues for pest surveillance and management. Therefore, adopting nanotechnology to develop nanopesticides and nanotools for crop pest management is thought to be the finest method in green farming for sustainable agriculture and the environment. So this article focuses more on the innovation in nanotechnology for crop pest management. Graphical abstract