Nanofertilizers: their effect on crop production and soil health

Abstract

Global agriculture faces a tremendous problem in meeting the food demands of a fast growing population. According to estimates, current crop production will need to be increased by up to 70 per cent to meet future food demands. Intensive agricultural activities necessitate large amounts of fertilizers resulting in deterioration of soil health. As a result, there is an increasing awareness of the benefits of using environmentally friendly, long-term fertilizers that focus on soil health conservation. Nanofertilizers are nutrient transporters with nanoscale dimensions ranging from 30 to 40 nm that can retain a large number of nutrient ions due to their large surface area and release them continuously and slowly in proportion to the crop’s needs. Because of their particular characteristics, they are employed in lesser doses and have been shown to boost crop output. They’ve also been shown to aid in the nitrogen cycle, enzymatic activity, and the induction of plant-beneficial microorganisms in soil. The prospective use of nanofertilizers will undoubtedly spark a revolt inside the fertilizer industry, addressing the issue of food insecurity in underdeveloped countries.

Keywords:

• Crop production
• nanofertilizer
• soil health

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No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

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In accordance with the copyright transfer or open access.

Data availability statement

Data will be made available on reasonable request.

Additional information

Funding

This work did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.