The globally recognized need to advance more sustainable agriculture and food systems has motivated the emergence of transdisciplinary solutions, which include methodologies that utilize the properties of materials at the nanoscale to address extensive and inefficient resource use. Despite the promising prospects of these nanoscale materials, the potential for large-scale applications directly to the environment and to crops necessitates precautionary measures to avoid unintended consequences. Further, the effects of using engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) in agricultural practices cascade throughout their life cycle and include effects from upstream-embodied resources and emissions from ENM production as well as their potential downstream environmental implications. Building on decades-long research in ENM synthesis, biological and environmental interactions, fate, transport and transformation, there is the opportunity to inform the sustainable design of nano-enabled agrochemicals. Here we perform a screening-level analysis that considers the system-wide benefits and costs for opportunities in which ENMs can advance the sustainability of crop-based agriculture. These include their on-farm use as (1) soil amendments to offset nitrogen fertilizer inputs, (2) seed coatings to increase germination rates and (3) foliar sprays to enhance yields. In each analysis, the nano-enabled alternatives are compared against the current practice on the basis of performance and embodied energy. In addition to identifying the ENM compositions and application approaches with the greatest potential to sustainably advance crop production, we present a holistic, prospective, systems-based approach that promotes emerging alternatives that have net performance and environmental benefits.

全球公认的促进更可持续的农业和粮食系统发展的需求促使了跨学科解决方案的出现，其中包括利用纳米级材料的特性来解决广泛而低效的资源使用的方法。尽管这些纳米级材料的前景广阔，但直接在环境和农作物上大规模应用的潜力仍需要采取预防措施以避免意外后果。此外，在农业实践中使用工程纳米材料（ENM）的影响在其整个生命周期中级联，包括上游体现的资源和ENM生产产生的排放以及它们对下游环境的潜在影响。在数十年的ENM合成研究基础上，生物和环境的相互作用，命运，运输和转化，有机会为纳米农用化学品的可持续设计提供信息。在这里，我们进行筛选级分析，考虑全系统范围内机会的收益和成本，ENM可以在这些收益和成本中促进基于作物的农业的可持续性。这些措施包括在农场上用作（1）土壤改良剂以抵消氮肥的投入；（2）种衣以提高发芽率；（3）叶面喷洒以提高产量。在每次分析中，基于性能和内在能量，将纳米替代材料与当前实践进行比较。除了确定具有最大潜力可持续发展作物生产的ENM组成和应用方法外，我们还提供了一种整体，前瞻性，