The agricultural sector heavily relied on active ingredients (AI) such as fungicides, insecticides, herbicides, growth hormones, and micro/macronutrients to enhance crop productivity. Traditional AI application methods, such as foliar sprays and soil treatments, face significant challenges that impact efficiency and environmental safety. These methods often lead to uneven distribution, poor translocation due to environmental factors, and loss of AIs through runoff. Additionally, they can contribute to environmental pollution and harm non-target organisms, including beneficial insects and soil microbes. In contrast, novel approaches in direct delivery, particularly microneedles (MNs) and trunk injectors (TIs) have emerged to address these challenges. These platforms allow precise application of AIs by penetrating the outer protective layer of the plant and directly targeting vascular tissues, thereby enhancing the efficacy and environmental safety of AI applications. However, these systems exhibit limitations like tissue damage, clogging, or breaking of needles during the application which can affect efficiency. This review explores the development, mechanisms, and applications of MNs and TIs in AI delivery. Further, it compares them with traditional methods while evaluating thei...