Vol. 9, Special Issue 10, Part W (2025)

Agriculture has progressed from early food gathering to today’s era of precision farming, marked by landmark achievements such as the Green, White and Evergreen Revolutions, each strengthening national food security and productivity. Nevertheless, weeds still reduce crop yields by an estimated 25-30%, and conventional herbicides continue to face significant drawbacks including poor species specificity, herbicide resistance, chemical residues and potential risks to human and animal health. Nanotechnology is the manipulation of matter to a nano scale offers promising solutions. By enabling slow-release and target-specific delivery of herbicides, it reduces the quantity of chemicals required while improving efficacy. This review highlights recent developments in nanotechnology-based weed management, emphasizing nano-encapsulation, smart delivery systems, reduced environmental risks and enhanced crop productivity. Notable examples include encapsulated sulfentrazone, nano-atrazine and paraquat-loaded chitosan nanoparticles, which have shown superior weed suppression, lower phytotoxicity and higher crop yields compared with conventional formulations. Other innovative strategies involve depleting weed seed banks, exhausting carbohydrate reserves in propagules using silver nanoparticles and α-amylase and improving foliar absorption and systemic translocation of active ingredients. These nanotechnology interventions offer key advantages such as reduced chemical usage, lower residue deposition, improved input efficiency and the possibility of recycling magnetic nanocarriers. However, issues including nanoparticle toxicity, challenges and regulatory hurdles underscore the need for careful evaluation and responsible implementation as the field advances.