Open Access

REVIEW

Enhancing Plant Resilience to Biotic and Abiotic Stresses through Exogenously Applied Nanoparticles: A Comprehensive Review of Effects and Mechanism

Jalil Ahmad^1,*, Muhammad Munir^2,*, Nashi Alqahtani^2,3, Tahira Alyas⁴, Muhammad Ahmad⁵, Sadia Bashir⁶, Fasiha Qurashi⁷, Abdul Ghafoor⁸, Hassan Ali–Dinar²

1 Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
2 Date Palm Research Center of Excellence, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa, 31982, Saudi Arabia
3 Department of Food and Nutrition Sciences, College of Agricultural and Food Sciences, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa, 31982, Saudi Arabia
4 Department of Botany, Lahore College for Women University, Lahore, Punjab, 54000, Pakistan
5 Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Ghazi University, Dera Ghazi Khan, 32200, Pakistan
6 Department of Botany, The Woman University Multan, 66000, Pakistan
7 Department of Biological Sciences, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, 54000, Pakistan
8 Center for Water and Environmental Studies, College of Agricultural and Food Sciences, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa, 31982, Saudi Arabia

* Corresponding Authors: Jalil Ahmad. Email: ; Muhammad Munir. Email:

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany 2025, 94(2), 281-302. https://doi.org/10.32604/phyton.2025.061534

Received 26 November 2024; Accepted 03 February 2025; Issue published 06 March 2025

Abstract

A steady rise in the overall population is creating an overburden on crops due to their global demand. On the other hand, given the current climate change and population growth, agricultural practices established during the Green Revolution are no longer viable. Consequently, innovative practices are the prerequisite of the time struggle with the rising global food demand. The potential of nanotechnology to reduce the phytotoxic effects of these ecological restrictions has shown significant promise. Nanoparticles (NPs) typically enhance plant resilience to stressors by fortifying the physical barrier, optimizing photosynthesis, stimulating enzymatic activity for defense, elevating the concentration of stress-resistant compounds, and activating the expression of genes associated with defense mechanisms. In this review, we thoroughly cover the uptake and translocations of NPs crops and their potential valuable functions in enhancing plant growth and development at different growth stages. Additionally, we addressed how NPs improve plant resistance to biotic and abiotic stress. Generally, this review presents a thorough understanding of the significance of NPs in plants and their prospective value for plant antioxidant and crop development.

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Keywords

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