114 M. Chandrashekharaiah et al.
Introduction
Nanoscience is concerned with the unique prop-
erties of matter at its nanolevel and exploits them
to create novel structures, devices, and systems
for a variety of different uses. Nanoparticles
are 1 billionth of a meter. These have strikingly
different properties due to their small size and
thus are found useful in many applications. With
the development of nanotechnology systems de-
livering pesticides appropriately can contributes
to improve pest-management practices. Nanopar-
ticles and nanotechonology can be used in more
than one way in pest management. Select ways
of use of nanaoparticles in countries like India
is only discussed here. This chapter initially re-
views the possibilities of using nanoparticles in
then results of evaluation trials on moult using
growth regulators are furnished.
Nanoparticles possess insecticidal property
due to novel characteristics like extraordinary
strength, chemical reactivity, and electrical con-
ductivity. They have distinct physical, biologi-
cal, and chemical properties associated with their
atomic strength (Leiderer and Dekorsy 2008 ).
Nanoparticles are agglomerated atom by atom,
and their size/shape may be maintained specifi-
cally (Roy 2009 ) and particles can be arranged
into ordered layers (Ulrich et al. 2006 ). Such
self-assembly is due to forces such as hydrogen
bonding, dipolar forces, hydrophilic and hydro-
phobic interactions, surface tension, and gravity.
Since, inorganic nanoparticles have unique prop-
erties owing to the quantum size effects and the
large number of unsaturated atoms, polymeric
films containing inorganic nanoparticles exhibit
novel catalytic, magnetic and optical properties.
Nanoparticles in natural ecosystems have dif-
ferent biological responses than those observed
in laboratory cell-based toxicity assays. Prop-
erties of nanoparticles can be exploited in the
production of new insecticides (Owolade et al.
2008 ). These particles are released slowly but
efficiently to a particular host plant against an in-
sect pest (Scrinis and Lyons 2007 ). Seema Singh
( 2012 ) and a team of researchers from IIT Madras
have developed nanoparticles from gold, silver,
copper, and several other metallic oxides that
have been found effective against insect pests.
Recently, nanotechnology embraced the
world of pesticides and pest control and has the
potential to revolutionize modern-day agricul-
ture. Recently, smart polymer or nanocapsules
with crop protection agents like insecticides,
herbicides, fungicides, pheromones, repellents,
and allomones are being used in pest control
(Perez-de-Luque and Rubiales 2009 ; Racuciu
et al. 2009 ; Matsumoto et al. 2009 ; Roy et al.
2010 ). Several nanoparticles like nanoporous
zeolites, nanocapsules, and nanosensors may be
used in insect–pest suppression (Hallberg 2010).
Certain carbon nanotubes (1 nm) have the tre-
mendous potential to protect host plants from
insect pests (Yao 2010). Nanomaterials possess
important properties of self-assembly, stability,
specificity, encapsulation, and biocompatibil-
ity (Ehdaie 2007 ). Nanobiotechnology can be
used to enhance the yield and nutritional values
of crops as well as increase the plant’s ability
to resist insect pests (Bhattacharyya and Deb-
nath 2008 ; Bhattacharyya et al. 2010 ). Nano-
technological tools are useful in detecting host
plant diseases, types of viral infections, and
crop pathogens. Moreover, a tremendous loss of
crops due to attack by insect pests can be pre-
vented. A recent approach to the control of insect
pests is the use of DNA-tagged nanoparticles,
insecticide-coated nanoparticles, and hormonal
blended nanoparticles. Chowdappa and Shivaku-Keywords
Corcyra cephalonica · Halofenozide · Nanotechnology · Spodoptera litura ·
Tebufenozideperitropic membrane was completely disrupted in the larval stages and
dearrangement of columnar cells was observed.