Role of Various Nanoparticles in Countering Heavy Metal, Salt, and Drought Stress in Plants

The various forms of nanoparticles (NPs) designed so far and their application in crop plants for sustainable crop production is receiving great attention in today’s life. In plants, NPs minimize loss of nutrients, reduces various diseases and improves the growth and yields under different abiotic stresses. Application of various forms of NPs in plants affect seed germination, seedling vigor, respiration, flowering, initiation of roots, antioxidant defense responses, growth and photosynthesis and regulate responses to various abiotic stress conditions. The usage of various NPs is occupied in the plants’ to protect against induced oxidative stress as they have been found to mimic the role of various antioxidative enzymes. The high doses of NPs induces phytotoxic effect in plants as they orchestrates the production of various reactive oxygen species (ROS), whereas, low doses of NPs exert beneficiary results in various plants. Therefore, keeping in view such a conflicting and ambiguous situation of NPs, the present chapter deciphers the ameliorating role of various NPs under stressful environmental conditions like salt, drought and heavy metal stresses in crop plants. A brief explanation of NPs mediated control of vital plant processes under abiotic stresses is also presented.