Nano-Food Farming Approaches to Mitigate Heat Stress under Ongoing Climate Change: A Review

Abstract

Increased heat stress is a common feature of global climate change and can cause adverse impacts on crops from germination through maturation and harvest. This review focuses on the impacts of extreme heat (>35 °C) on plants and their physiology and how they affect food and water security. The emphasis is on what can be done to minimize the negative effects of heat stress, which includes the application of various materials and approaches. Nano-farming is highlighted as one promising approach. Heat is often combined with drought, salinity, and other stresses, which together affect the whole agroecosystem, including soil, plants, water, and farm animals, leading to serious implications for food and water resources. Indeed, there is no single remedy or approach that can overcome such grand issues. However, nano-farming can be part of an adaptation strategy. More studies are needed to verify the potential benefits of nanomaterials but also to investigate any negative side-effects, particularly under the intensive application of nanomaterials, and what problems this might create, including potential nanotoxicity.