Exogenously applied nucleic acid-based agents are emerging as a promising strategy in agriculture for highly selective crop protection and plant trait modulation; however, their practical deployment remains constrained by inefficient delivery, rapid environmental degradation, and poor robustness under field conditions. Lipid-based nanocarriers, long established in pharmaceutical science as non-viral delivery systems, offer a versatile platform to address these challenges but require substantial adaptation to function effectively in both plants and open-environment agricultural conditions. This review critically examines lipid-based nanocarrier platforms, including liposomes, solid lipid nanoparticles, and oil-in-water nanoemulsions, for nucleic acid delivery in plant systems. Fundamental differences between mammalian and plant biology, such as the presence of the cell wall, apoplastic transport pathways, extracellular nucleases, and continuous exposure to environmental stressors represent key determinants of nanocarrier performance. Drawing on principles from nanomedicine, we analyse how nanocarrier size, surface chemistry, charge regulation, and deformability govern transport across major plant barriers, including mucilage layers, cuticles, cell walls, and intracellular membranes. Beyond direct plant delivery, the review also highlights the growing use of lipid-based nanocarriers in plant protection, summarizing applications targeting fungal pathogens, bacterial and viral diseases, nematodes, and insect pests. By integrating pharmaceutical nanotechnology concepts with agricultural constraints, this review highlights both the opportunities and limitations of lipid-based nanocarriers for nucleic acid-enabled crop technologies.
