Nanostructures for fungal disease management in the agri-food industry

Plant diseases and food wastage caused by phytopathogenic fungi yield serious epidemics, leading to the total loss of crops and very large economic losses. It is causing a food crisis in the propagation regions, which leads to the application of thousands of tons of agrochemicals worldwide, causing soil degradation. Therefore, the use of inorganic nanoparticles with the ability to inhibit phytopathogenic fungi is widely reported in this chapter. The physical and chemical properties of nanomaterials and recent advances in environment-friendly and low-cost synthesis processes make them attractive for applications in the agri-food industry. Additionally, antifungal agents are an alternative to current inorganic pesticides that can affect the natural balance of soils and cause microbial resistance. The importance of metallic, bimetallic, and oxide-metallic nanoparticles, among other alloys, was discussed against the pathogenic fungi of several plants. These pathogens affect different components of plants and can damage food from cultivation to consumption. The suitability of nanoparticles in safe and nutritious food production was documented. The use of nanoparticles in food packaging for oxygen scavenging, ethylene, and UV blocking was addressed. It is part of the active functions of the packaging and as an antimicrobial agent against bacteria, fungi, and viruses. The safety significance of nanomaterials in plants and food is also discussed, considering toxicity levels. Reported studies about minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) have been addressed. It is expected that the knowledge summarized here will promote new research toward developing novel antifungal agents taking advantage of the properties of nanomaterials to improve food quality and safety shortly.