Nanotechnology
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1 What is nanotechnology science?
Nanotechnology is an interdisciplinary field that has been entered in different range of applied sciences such as chemists, physicists, biologists, medical doctors and engineers. Targeted research and development, for understand, manipulate and measure at the materials with atomic, molecular and super molecules dimensions is called nanotechnology.
Nanotechnology has been provisionally defined as relating to materials, systems and processes which operate at a scale of 100 nanometers (nm) or less. A nanometer is one billionth of a meter. Overall nano refers to a size scale between 1 nanometer (nm) and 100 nm. For comparison, the wavelength of visible light is between 400 nm and 700 nm. A leukocyte has the size of 10000 nm, a bacteria 1000-10000 nm, virus 75-100 nm, protein 5-50 nm, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) ~2 nm (width), and an atom ~0.1 nm In this scale, physical, biological and chemical characteristics of materials have fundamentally different from each other and often unexpected actions are seen from them
2 Historical Background:
Historically the exact time period from which the application of nano-particles started is not known but available evidences indicate that gold nano-particles were used in glazes in ancient pottery to produce different colored glazes.
A Japanese Scientist Norio Taniguchi at the University of Tokyo first used the term “Nano-technology” in 1974 to refer to the ability to engineer materials precisely at the nano-meter level.
The dreams of Richard Feynman came to reality with the great research worker of Eric Drexler during Late 1970s and he started publishing scientific papers from 1981.
In 1986, he introduced the term “nano-technology” in his book “Engineer of Creation” to describe his approach of molecular manufacturing and some of its consequences.
The nano-science research took a new momentum with the invention of Scanning Tonnelling Microscope (STM) in 1981-82 by Greg Karl Binning and Heinrich Rohren and Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) in 1986.
A direct stimulus to the systemic study of nano-science came from the discovery of fullerenes in 1985 Harold Kroto, Robert F. Curl and Richard Smalley for which they were jointly awarded Nobel Prize in chemistry in 1996.
Popularly, C60 molecular of carbon is referred to as buckyball, in honour of Buckminniter Fuller, a 20th Nanotechnology development in India is at a nascent stage with policy initiatives directed towards promoting research and development.
At present there are more than 30 institutions in the country that are involved in Research and Development and training programmes in this area.
The Indian government has spent Rs. 1000 million for nanotechnology under its 10 century architect renowned for his use of geodesic domes.
This led in turn, to the discovery of “Carbon nano-tubes” (CNTs) in 1991 by the Japanese electron microscopist Sumio Lijima. These nano-tubes are about 100 times stronger than steel but just a sixth of the weight and they have unusual heat and conductivity characteristics.
3 Application of nanotechnology in agronomy:
With use of nano sensors will be determined every small part of farm how much needs to fertilizer and chemical pesticides.
Nano-sensors help to farmers in maintaining farm with precise control and report timely needs of plants. Nano sensors and nano-based smart delivery systems could help in the efficient use of agricultural natural resources like water, nutrients and chemicals through precision farming.
Through the use of nano materials and global positioning systems with satellite imaging of fields, farm managers could remotely detect crop pests or evidence of stress such as drought. Once pest or drought is detected, there would be automatic adjustment of pesticide applications or irrigation levels.
Nano sensors dispersed in the field can also detect the presence of plant viruses and the level of soil nutrients. Nano fertilizers will be absorbed by plants rapidly and completely.
Nano encapsulated slow release fertilizers have also become a trend to save fertilizer consumption and to minimize environmental pollution.
Super water adsorbents made by nanotechnology, has an important role in storage and protecting water in arid and semiarid regions.
Nanotechnology has many applications in the field of agricultural machinery such as: application in machines structure and agriculture tools to increase their resistance against wear and corrosion and ultraviolet rays; producing strong mechanical components with use of nano-coating and use of bio-sensors in smart machines for mechanical-chemical weed control.
