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Nanotechnology in
Agriculture
Group 1:
Amy Cornforth
Tony Grupp
Ana D’Almeida
March 26, 2010
Food and Agriculture Issues
• Ability to track products, nutrient levels,
and other information necessary to
increase productivity
• Decontamination of soils and water
• Protection against pests and diseases
Topic Overview
• 3 Areas of Nanotechnology
Development in Agriculture:
– Nanobarcodes
– Applications and Pesticide Remediation
– Pesticide Delivery
Nanobarcodes – What are they?
• Offers a way to “tag” any type of organic
or non-organic like a UPC code
• Typically uses gold and silver as the
detecting strips, but platinum, palladium
nickel, and cobalt have been used
• Can easily be read with an electronic
scanning device or microscope
• Made through nanoscale electroplating of the metals
into desired patterns
Image at PennSt. University website: http://www.rps.psu.edu/0201/barcodes.html
How are Nanobarcodes made?
• Current technology uses metallized templates which can be
dissolved away
• Depending on the order of electroplating a very wide variety of
combinations can be made. Some examples are shown here
Images from:
http://www.nano.ait.ac.th/Download/AIT%20Papers/2005/Nanotechnology%2
0For%20Agriculture%20And%20Food%20Systems%20_%20A%20View.pdf
Slide taken from Oxonica presentation found at: http://www.oxonica.com/investors/financials/Oxonica2006prelimresults.pdf
Two Types of Nanobarcodes
Metallic Stripes or
Discs?
• Sizes range from 50-200 nm in length, • Can be grown to 12 μm in length
0.04-0.15 nm in diameter
• Uses up to 10 disc pairs of metals, resulting
• Uses electroplated bars
in up to 287 different nanodisc codes
• Viewed using a scanner producing
• Viewed using a special laser beam
blue light
• No current data on accuracy
• Proven to be highly accurate
Image on left: http://www.rps.psu.edu/0201/barcodes.html
Image on right: http://nanooze.blogspot.com/2008/01/nano-barcodes.html
Applications of Nanobarcodes
• DNA nanobarcoding for
pathogen detection (such as
Ebola and SARS)
• Monitoring of bacterial
systems
• Can be used as a “nanosensor” to detect water
levels, soil nutrient
information, and chemical
levels
Image at: http://luolabs.bee.cornell.edu/
• Tagging food packages
– Temperature changes
– Pathogens
– Leaks
• Biomolecular tracing
• Maximizes productivity
Dr. Dan Luo – Cornell University
• One of the earliest researchers of nanobarcodes
• First paper describing the use of nanobarcoding
produced in early 2005
• Runs LuoLabs, which works with various
nanotechnologies geared towards DNA research
– Works with 2 other professors, 6 post-docs, and
nearly a dozen other PhD and Masters students
• Has won numerous awards and research grants
Further Research
• Currently no information about pricing or risk analysis
• Most research is gearing towards the medical community, with
applications that can be used in agriculture, especially
packaging and husbandry
• Current pathology detection systems can only detect up to 8
pathogens simultaneously. That range is attempting to be
increased to over 20
Nanotechnology Applications
Crop improvement
Image at: http://pubs.acs.org/stoken/presspac/presspac/full/10.1021/nn900887m?cookieSet=1
Nanotechnology Applications
Atomically modified seeds
Experiment by ETC group that aimed to the
characteristics of local rice varieties.
Hole was drilled on the membrane of a rice cell
and a N2 atom was introduced to stimulate
rearrangement of rice’s DNA.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/7640458/Nanotechnology-and-Its-Applications-in-Crop-Improvement
Nanotechnology Applications
Atomically modified seeds
• Researchers have been able to alter the color
of the rice from purple to green
• Goal of the research is to develop a variety of
rice that can be grown all year long
• Rice variety with shorter stems and improved
grain color
http://www.scribd.com/doc/7640458/Nanotechnology-and-Its-Applications-in-Crop-Improvement
Nanotechnology
• Advantages
• Possibility to fabricate sensors to monitor
pathogens on crops and measure their
productivity.
• Disadvantages
• Increase the ability of potentially toxic
substances to penetrate deep layers of the
soil and travel large distances.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/7640458/Nanotechnology-and-Its-Applications-in-Crop-Improvement
Nanotechnology
• Current status
• Still in early stages
of development
• Some of the new
developed tools may
not be viable
• Interdisciplinary
study
• Future Trends
• Develop to produce
validated technologies
• Chances for job
creation
• Chances to become
the next technological
revolution
http://www.scribd.com/doc/7640458/Nanotechnology-and-Its-Applications-in-Crop-Improvement
Experiment
• Domestic water filter that
uses metal nanoparticles
to remove dissolved
pesticide residues is about
to enter the Indian market.
• Developed at at the Indian
Institute of Technology
(IIT) in Chennai
• Tested for over six months
• Resulted from research on
chemistry of nanopartiles
Image at:http://www.nanowerk.com/news/newsid=1806.php
http://www.scribd.com/doc/7640458/Nanotechnology-and-Its-Applications-in-Crop-Improvement
Endosulfan
•Stable pesticide and its frequently found on soils
•Has the potential to cause health problems including, genetic
disorders
•Can be detected in ppm levels using gold nanoparticles
• Is adsorbed on to the nanoparticles surface
After long interaction, nanoparticles precipitate from the solution.
can be detected and selectively extracted by nobel metal
nanoparticles
•Process can be used for field detection
•Scaled up for environmental decontamination
•Drinking water purification
http://www.scribd.com/doc/7640458/Nanotechnology-and-Its-Applications-in-Crop-Improvement
Experiment
Gold(silver) nanoparticles
were prepared
Gold solution –wine red
Yellow solution-silver
Endolsulfan solution was
prepared
Solution were mixed and
stablized with citrate
Set of solution with different
concentrations of endosulfan
were prepared
UV spectra was taken
Nanoparticles did not
participate after the reaction
for a period of nine hours
A- pure citrate
B,C, D 2, 10 , 100 ppm
Image at: http://www.rsc.org/delivery/_ArticleLinking/DisplayArticleForFree.cfm?doi=b300107e&JournalCode=EM
Published in: J. Environ. Monit., 2003, 5, 363 - 365, DOI: 10.1039/b300107e
• 2,10,150, 200 ppm endosulfan
• Absorbances recorded after 9 h of addition of
endosulfan
• Plasmon at 524 nm decreases in intensity
after 3h addition,
• Additional peaks occur at longer wave
lengths
• Dampening and shifting of the plasmon
indicates binding on the nanoparticle surface.
Published in: J. Environ. Monit., 2003, 5, 363 - 365, DOI: 10.1039/b300107e
a) original naparticle solution
b) 3h after addition of endosulfan
c to t) 20 min intervals after addition
As the concentration increases :
• red shift becomes more pronounce
• Intensity of color change is quantitave, can
be detected by colorimetric methods
• Peak at 524 nm decrease intensity and a new
peak emerges at 624 nm
•
new peak intensity increases accompanied
by further shift. The shift can be attributed to
adsorption of on the surface of gold
nanoparticles.
• After 9 h, the solution becomes bluish and
the material begins to settle down.
• The residue is removed by centrifugation.
Image at: http://www.rsc.org/delivery/_ArticleLinking/DisplayArticleForFree.cfm?doi=b300107e&JournalCode=EM
Published in: J. Environ. Monit., 2003, 5, 363 - 365, DOI: 10.1039/b300107e
Silver nanoparticles
a) pure cluster
b) 2 ppm
c) 10 ppm
d) 100 ppm
e) 250 ppm
Bluish material was analyzed by FT- IR
a) Pure endosulfan
b)Endolsulfan after adsorption to gold
particles (broad dands)
c) Endolsulfanafter reaction with silver(
similar to A)
Image at: http://www.rsc.org/delivery/_ArticleLinking/DisplayArticleForFree.cfm?doi=b300107e&JournalCode=EM
Published in: J. Environ. Monit., 2003, 5, 363 - 365, DOI: 10.1039/b300107e
Better approach to apply technology to the field is to use nanoparticle films.
Gold nanoparticle film by layer-layer assembly on SnO2 coated conducting
glass plates.
Image at: http://www.rsc.org/delivery/_ArticleLinking/DisplayArticleForFree.cfm?doi=b300107e&JournalCode=EM
Published in: J. Environ. Monit., 2003, 5, 363 - 365, DOI: 10.1039/b300107e
• Adsorption occurs at 525nm.
• Band at 609 nm due to electronic
interaction of particles.(Occurs after
formation of second layer)
• Layer exposed to endosulfan for 10
h
• Red shift observed ( 14 nm
difference)
• Film changes color. Intensity
increases because due to
intercalation of endosulfan into the
bulk of the film leading to
substituition of some of the
components.
Image at: http://www.rsc.org/delivery/_ArticleLinking/DisplayArticleForFree.cfm?doi=b300107e&JournalCode=EM
Published in: J. Environ. Monit., 2003, 5, 363 - 365, DOI: 10.1039/b300107e
Introduction to Pesticide Delivery
Found at: http://organosafe.net/webproductimages/Organosafe%20GardenSpray.jpg
Design of Pheromone Releasing Fibers for
Plant Protection
• Pests negatively affect harvests
– Amount
– Quality
• Pesticides, insecticides, herbicides, and
fungicides are traditionally used to aid in
plant growth
– Use is restricted due to possible
environmental damages
Photo: http://www.edupic.net/larva.htm
Published in: Christoph Hellmann, Andreas Greiner and Joachim H. Wendorff; Polym. Adv. Technol. 2009,
DOI: 10.1002/pat.1532 Copyright John Wiley and Sons, Ltd.
Design of Pheromone Releasing Fibers for
Plant Protection
• Alternative: Use pheromones to counteract insect
damage
• Pheromones are used by insects to transmit messages
– Mating pheromones are the most related to plant
protection
– Can use mating pheromones to trap insects or
disrupt mating patterns
• Advantages:
– Can use pheromones selectively
Published in: Christoph Hellmann, Andreas Greiner and Joachim H. Wendorff; Polym. Adv. Technol. 2009,
DOI: 10.1002/pat.1532 Copyright John Wiley and Sons, Ltd.
Design of Pheromone Releasing Fibers for
Plant Protection
• Current spread of pheromones is done by mechanical
means
– Spraying
– Dispensers
• Dispensers are used in vineyards
– European grape berry moth
Photo: http://www.bioteams.com/Pheromones_350.jpg
Published in: Christoph Hellmann, Andreas Greiner and Joachim H. Wendorff; Polym. Adv. Technol. 2009,
DOI: 10.1002/pat.1532 Copyright John Wiley and Sons, Ltd.
Design of Pheromone Releasing Fibers for
Plant Protection
• Problems with mechanical means of
distribution
– Strong concentration required
– Sensitive to wind and rain
– Uneven distribution (Dispensers)
Published in: Christoph Hellmann, Andreas Greiner and Joachim H. Wendorff; Polym. Adv. Technol. 2009,
DOI: 10.1002/pat.1532 Copyright John Wiley and Sons, Ltd.
Design of Pheromone Releasing Fibers for
Plant Protection
• Use nanofiber webs to hold pheromones
– Protection from wind and rain
– Continued, controlled release
– Very even distribution
• Webs are produced by electrospinning
Photo: http://www.alanbauer.com/images/Patterns%20in%20Nature/Spider%20web%20with%20dew.jpg
Published in: Christoph Hellmann, Andreas Greiner and Joachim H. Wendorff; Polym. Adv. Technol. 2009,
DOI: 10.1002/pat.1532 Copyright John Wiley and Sons, Ltd.
Electrospinning
• Related to electrostatic spraying
– Use a charged liquid and electrode to make an
electric field
– Liquid surface tension competes with electric field
– Taylor cone describes the behavior of liquid with
different voltages
– Polymers produce fibers rather than droplets due to
chain entanglements
Photo:http://www.gwu.edu/~vertes/Resources/Electros
prayPDA5.gif
Via: http://www.people.vcu.edu/~glbowlin/electrospinning.htm
Electrospinning
a) Electrospinning device
b) Typical electrospun fibers
Via: http://www.neotherix.com/technology.php
Experiment
• Pheromone (Z)-9-dodecenyl acetate
– Disrupts the European grape berry moth
• Added pheromone to spinning solution in
varying concentrations
– Polyamide 6 and Formic acid
– Cellulose acetate
Published in: Christoph Hellmann, Andreas Greiner and Joachim H. Wendorff; Polym. Adv. Technol. 2009,
DOI: 10.1002/pat.1532 Copyright John Wiley and Sons, Ltd.
Experiment
a) Polyamide 6 fiber without pheromone
b)Polyamide 6 fiber with pheromone
Published in: Christoph Hellmann, Andreas Greiner and Joachim H. Wendorff; Polym. Adv. Technol. 2009,
DOI: 10.1002/pat.1532 Copyright John Wiley and Sons, Ltd.

Experiment
Cellulose
acetate fibers
of varying
pheromone
concentrations
Published in: Christoph Hellmann, Andreas Greiner and Joachim H. Wendorff; Polym. Adv. Technol. 2009,
DOI: 10.1002/pat.1532 Copyright John Wiley and Sons, Ltd.
Pheromone release
• Approximately linear
• PA fiber release faster than CA release
• CA release possibly as long as 100 days
Published in: Christoph Hellmann, Andreas Greiner and Joachim H. Wendorff; Polym. Adv. Technol. 2009,
DOI: 10.1002/pat.1532 Copyright John Wiley and Sons, Ltd.
Published in: DOI: 10.1002/pat.1532 Copyright John Wiley and Sons, Ltd. See previous slide for addt'l information.
Summary of Experiment
• Promising work
• Needs careful consideration of carrier web
material
– Use fibers with long decomposition time
– Use biodegradable fibers
• Multiple developments to reduce cost of
electrospinning
Group S1 Rebuttal
• Comments varied between positive and negative
• Group 1 agrees that a more normalized slide
formatting would have helped, although the use
of technical terms for experimental analysis was
necessary.
• Due to a lack of data given by researching
companies, and the present relevance of the
information, it was logical to present the overall
topic as three separate topics, and thus it was not
required for one to be connected to the next.
Group S2’s Evaluation of S1
Second Presentation
Micheal Jones
Rachel Houk
Chris Heflin
Positive Aspects
• Oral presentation was up to par
– Presenters were dressed professional
– Most presenters were confident and concise
• Slide quality well formatted
– Animation was helpful in understanding
• Introduction was informative
– Set up the rest of the presentation nicely
• Question and answer session solidified
presentation
Room for Improvement
• Use of filler words needs to be minimized.
One of the presenters needed more
preparation.
• The presentation was shorter than it initially
was planned to be.
• A few slides contained too much information
but overall the group performed well
Review of S1—Nanotechnology
in Agriculture
By S3:
James Kancewick
Michael Koetting
Bradford Lamb
Review
• The first and third sections of the presentation were
easy to understand and the speakers did a good job of
explaining the material.
• The second section of the presentation (endosulfan
experiment) was difficult to follow; the slides also
contained numerous spelling and formatting errors,
and the graphs were not labeled well.
• Endosulfan experiment should have been explained in
layman’s terms instead of with purely scientific
numbers and no explanation of the implications of the
findings.
Review
• Text and graphics were occasionally too small.
• Applications of nanobarcodes in agriculture
were not sufficiently detailed for this
presentation’s topic.
• Slide formatting was sometimes haphazard;
more parallel slide design would have made
the presentation much more professional.
Joshua Moreno
Danielle Miller
Scott Marwil
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Topic was very interesting
The video in the slides was entertaining
Everyone looked nice and professional
Ana did especially well presenting
The slide design looked professional and
appealed to the audience since we are all
Aggies
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Slides were too cluttered
Too much text- this made the font size small in
some places and it was also distracting
Layout of the slides- try to balance the space so
as to please the eyes
Instead of covering the background of the
slides when you have giant pictures, change
the layout to a blank slide or title slide so it
looks more professional

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
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
Eliminate all spelling errors; these are
unprofessional and easy to take care of
Speak clear and pronounce words
Would have been nice to see more vibrant
colorful pictures
Some slides seem to have more than one title?
Indent bullets under there headings
(advantages and disadvantages slide)
Group S5
REVIEW of Nanotechnology in
Agriculture
Group 5
Trevor Seidel
Laura Young
Pradip Rijal
Presentation Review
• The presentation had a good balance between
graphics and words
• Some of the presenters were easy to
understand while others were not as clear
• The presentation seemed did not flow from
one section to the next making it hard to pay
attention
• The introduction failed to tie the different
topics together
Presentation Review
• The topics were not well connected or well
developed, with the second topic containing
far to many graphs making the presentation
hard to follow
• Experiment detailed in slides 16-23 should
have come before its conclusions/summary in
slides 14,15.
Nanotechnology in Agriculture (S1)
Critique
CHEN 481
Critique by S6:
John Baumhardt
Daniel Arnold
Michael Trevathan
Michael Tran
Review
• The slide templates looked professional. The colors used
made the slides easy to read.
• The slides should be more uniform – the font, layout,
text size all varied drastically from slide to slide.
• Good use of pictures, however there should have been
more pictures and less text – we are too lazy to read.
• The text was too small on many of the slides to read from
the back of the room.
• Make research graphs fill an entire slide and explain
them more thoroughly – this is our first time seeing the
graph.
Review
• Needed a better explanation of the benefits of red shift to
the agriculture.
• The barcode section was off topic comparatively to the
other sections.
• The crop improvement research needed a conclusion and
application slide
• Good job using multiple articles that were broadly
discussed – you were able to encompass more of the
agriculture industry.
• Overall good technical presentation.
Review
• All the speakers spoke clearly and confidently. It
appeared as though they had practiced prior to the
presentation.
• Everyone dressed nicely and took the presentation
seriously.
• Limited amount of filler words used.
• Great job orally.
• If you read off the slides use the monitor instead of the
projector so you don’t turn your body away from the
audience