Abstract: Nanotechnology has shown great potential in green management of agricultural pests in recent years. It offers novel methods and technologies that promote the sustainable development of agriculture. In this article, we summarized the applications of nanotechnology in pest monitoring, plant genetic engineering, and design and development of novel pesticides, and presented the application prospects of nanotechnology in plant protection in the future. In the field of pest monitoring, the application of nanotechnology not only significantly enhances sensor performance and lowers the detection lower limits of pheromones, but it also enables the slow release of pheromones. This prolongs the duration of pheromones’ action and allows for the rapid and accurate monitoring of pest population dynamics, providing the basis for establishing accurate plant protection strategies. In plant genetic engineering field, the nanocarriers can be applied to facilitate the effective delivery of foreign genes, which achieves the efficient genetic transformation and promotes the development and cultivation of insect-resistant plant varieties. This technology is poised to play a significant role in future industrial applications. For the design and development of novel pesticides, nanocarriers have the potential to serve as insecticidal ingredients to enhance the insecticidal efficacy of pesticides. Additionally, nanocarriers function as adjuvants to improve pesticide adhesion to foliage and enhance systemic uptake. This, in turn, extends the duration of action of the pesticides. Nanocarriers are particularly beneficial in the development of novel RNA-based pesticides and nano-pesticides. It is hoped that this article could highlight the potential of nanotechnology in advancing high-quality agricultural development and serves as a reference for future research and applications.

Key words: Nanotechnology, agricultural pests, insect-resistant transgenic plants, pest monitoring, green management, RNA-based pesticide