Reducing Fertilizer Runoff and Enhancing Crop Yield with Nano-Engineered Nutrients
Keywords:
nano-fertilizers, nutrient use efficiency, controlled release, agricultural sustainability, environmental protectionAbstract
The sustainability of agricultural practices depends on several types of underutilised fertilizers that are environmentally hazardous and impede agricultural productivity. Conventional fertilizers have low nutrient use efficiency, particularly in nitrogen, where losses are reported between 50 and 70% through runoff, volatilisation, and leaching. A nano-engineered complete nutrient delivery system with biodegradable polymer-coated nanoparticles for macronutrient-controlled release has been proposed in this study, with the evidence that the formulated nano-fertilizers reduce nutrients' runoff compared to conventional fertilizer applications by 65% while increasing crop yields by 28%. Nutrient cycling is optimised together with soil health indicators in multi-site field trials across diverse agricultural systems. Coating technology smartly delivers the proper nutrients at the right time, corresponding to plant growth stages for optimum absorption. Although capital costs are initially high, economic analysis demonstrates favourable cost-benefit ratios compared to traditional methods. Results indicate significantly reduced groundwater contamination and greenhouse gas emissions compared with standard fertilisation methods. This novel multi-nutrient release mechanism for simultaneous applications departs from existing controlled-release mechanisms under soil moisture conditions, pH, and temperature parameters. Statistically analysed data shows that the coefficient of variation for yield parameters has been kept below 15% over three growing seasons.
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