Abstract
Rice is the staple food of more than half of the world’s population. Zinc (Zn) is a key micronutrient for plants, especially rice. Zinc deficiency can be a serious threat to global food security due to a significant reduction in rice yield. Currently, the application of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) through improving grain yield (GY) and increasing rice grain enrichment can be considered as an effective strategy to achieve the dual goal of ensuring food security and improving human health. This chapter describes the applications of ZnO-NPs in rice plants in terms of resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses, nutrient uptake and crop yield. The addition of ZnO-NPs improves growth, increases agronomical parameters, enhances GY, and reduces the allocation of heavy metals into edible parts like grains, thereby improving the yield and quality of rice grains. In general, the present chapter emphasizes the beneficial role of ZnO-NPs in improving the yield and quality of rice grains.